Every Time, My Heart Will Reach Yours
by Kari Kurofai
Summary: Fireheart. Hiro knows this name, he's dreamed of it his whole life. But he didn't know it was his own, until the new, amber eyed classmate calls him by it. Wariors AU fic. Pairings: TigerFire, GraySilver, BreezeJay, slight LionJay SLASH
1. Chapter 1

**Every Time, My Heart will Reach Yours**

"Hey! Hiro! Hurry up man!"

Hiro glanced at his friend, suddenly finding that he'd fallen a good twenty feet behind him. He hurried forward down the road until he stood beside the other boy. "Sorry Gray, I've been a little out of it today," he grinned apologetically.

The taller boy smiled back, running a hand through his dark gray hair that matched his name. "I've noticed. What's up with that?" He poked Hiro's forehead above the boy's green eyes. "Did you not get enough sleep? Did you have another one of those weird fetish dreams of yours?"

"It is not a fetish!" Hiro snapped, punching Gray in the shoulder.

Gray winced, "Yeesh you're strong." His golden eyes sparkled as he smirked at his companion, "and yes, I think the fact that you have dreams about being a cat counts as a fetish." He dodged out of the way as the orange haired boy aimed another well earned punch at him. "So, tell me Hiro, was I a kitty last night too?"

Hiro glared at him, and continued walking. "Yes . . ."

"Oh ho!" Gray jumped into the air triumphantly, "finally! And what was I doing, pray tell?"

Hiro sighed, and looked at the sidewalk as he continued, "I was in a forest . . . And then suddenly, you jumped at me out of nowhere. We fought for a bit, and then you backed off." His eyes glazed, "some other cats came, and then you all let me come into the forest to join your group . . ." He rubbed his face with his palm. "And I got the snot beat out of me by Liran . . ."

"Liran?" Gray scoffed, "that bully's a kitty too? No fair."

"The leader of this place . . . It was Miss Aoi," Hiro stated, as if to prove a point. "Anyways . . . Then this other cat showed up . . ." A strange look crossed the young teen's face. "He was . . . So . . . Amazing. He had brown fur with darker brown stripes. And he had amber eyes . . . I wanted to be like him, strong like he was."

Gray stared at his companion for a moment, then snorted back a laugh. "What? Hiro, are you crushing on a kitty? That's stupid!" He pointed at the startled redhead. "Nyah, Hiro. Do you know this kitten in real life? Who is he?"

"No. I. Don't," Hiro hissed, "and it was just a fricken dream, so shut up!" He stalked off towards the gate's of their high school huffily. Suddenly, a hand grabbed him and flung him against the inside wall of the school gate. Hiro gasped as all his breath left him from the impact.

"Well, well. The little shrimp is wearing a necklace today," a voice chuckled darkly from above him. "Shall we . . . Tighten it for him?" The speaker leaned down, and Hiro flinched as he noticed who it was. The older boy had dark, golden hair tinged with black around the edges.

"Liran . . ."

"Yup," the seventeen year old grinned, his fingers hooking into the cord of Hiro's necklace. He looked at it, examining the tiny, silver charm in the shape of a cat. "How girly." He pulled on the cord, and twisted it, watching as Hiro gagged as in bit into his neck.

Hiro struggled where the older boy was pining him against the wall, and he faintly heard Gray yell something in the back of his mind. He couldn't breath, and he was blacking out. He clenched his back and leaned against the wall. His foot rose up, and he kicked Liran in the chest.

The cord snapped, and the older boy fell backwards. His yellow eyes glared up at Hiro from where he sat on the ground, fury overflowing from him. "How dare you, you little punk!" He leapt to his feet and dived forwards, grabbing Hiro's shirt collar and throwing him back against the wall again.

"That will be quite enough," a voice commanded form behind the golden haired teen.

Hiro's eyes cracked open to see his home room teacher, Miss Aoi, standing behind them. Her blue eyes narrowed, and she jerked Liran off of him. "I think a nice long detention after school will do, right?" Liran growled. "How about one tomorrow too," she added, dragging the boy off with her back inside the school.

The orange haired boy fell down to his knees on the sidewalk. Gray was leaning over him, saying something about, "Awesome, you totally kicked him in the ribs man!" But Hiro wasn't paying attention.

"Gray . . . This happened in my dream . . ."

Gray's golden eyes widened, "what are you talking about?"

Hiro turned slowly to look at his friend, "this was in my dream," he stated. "I told you Liran attacked me. In the dream, he grabbed hold of my collar, and I snapped it . . ." He raised his hand to touch the red mark on his throat where the cord had twisted into his skin. "I dreamt this . . ."

Gray gave his companion a worried look, but didn't say anything. "Alright

then . . . Let's get to class before Miss Aoi lands us in detention too, kay?"

^-^ ^-^ ^-^

The orange haired boy stared out the window beside his desk, feeling dazed. It had happened almost exactly like in his dream, but he couldn't understand it. It was too strange. He wasn't a cat, he was Hiro, a sixteen year old human boy. It didn't make any sense. His eyes turned towards the front of the classroom as the door opened.

A boy stepped into the room. He had long, shoulder length brown hair that shifted into a color near black at the ends. He was tall, Hiro guess his age to be around eighteen. And his eyes were a blazing amber.

"Class, this is our new student. His name is Toratsume," Miss Aoi said. She motioned at the room, "take any empty seat you want."

The boy nodded, looking as though he didn't really care. He made his way to the back of the room, and plopped down in the seat next to Hiro's. gray glanced back at Hiro and made a face at him that clearly said, "ha ha."

But Hiro wasn't paying any attention. This boy . . . It had to be. This boy was the cat from his dream. The one that looked like a tiger with the amber eyes. He inhaled deeply, remembering to breath.

Toratsume glanced at the boy, taking notice of the noise. His amber eyes widened, and his mouth slipped open from the frown he'd been wearing earlier. "No . . . Fireheart?"

Hiro's breathing stopped again. His name. That was his name. he didn't know how that could be, since he'd been Hiro all his life. But this . . . That was definitely his name that the older boy had just spoken.

RANDOM AUTHOR RAMBLE

Omg. I finally started it. The warriors AU fic. Everyone's stupid names make this so hard to write though. Gah . . . In case anyone need's clarifying here.

**Hiro** = Fireheart. Hiro means "Light on the Path." in Japanese. And I thought that it fit Firestar well as an alternate name. plus, Hiro, is pronounced Hero. So it's all good. X3

**Gray** = Graystripe. Cause I couldn't think of anything better. Call me obvious.

**Liran** = Longtail. Also couldn't really thing of anything. And Long would've been really weird.

**Aoi **= Bluestar. Her full name is Aoi Houshi. Aoi meaning "blue" and Houshi meaning "Star". Hahahahaha . . .

**Toratsume** = Tigerclaw. Tora means "tiger" and Tsume means "claw" so literally, Tigerclaw.

There will be many other character soon dattebayo! But this fic is the AU I've always wanted to do that focuses on the SLASH pairing of FireTiger. So you have been warned.


	2. Chapter 2

**Every Time, My Heart Will Reach Yours**

The bell rang, and Hiro felt a hand grab him by the back of his shirt, and without warning, he was being dragged down the hallway. He saw Gray run towards him, confused. "Hey, where are you-"

Hiro's captor glared at the boy with narrowed amber eyes. "I'll bring him back later, leave."

The orange haired boy loosened Toratsume's grip on him and gave Gray a reassuring smile. "I'll be back after lunch, I'm just . . . Showing him around, alright?" He turned and hurried after the taller boy, leaving Gray behind. Toratsume didn't speak again until they were standing outside, behind the school.

"Talk," he hissed.

Hiro's eyes widened, "wh-what?" He clenched his hand against the side of his jeans. "You're the one who should talk! What was that you called me earlier! You called me 'Fireheart'. Why?"

Toratsume's eyes narrowed into mere slits. "Don't give me shit, kittypet. That's who you are."

The orange haired boy's eyes widened, and he leaned his head in his hands, crouching down on the ground. That word, _kittypet. _His mind was flashing with memories of his dreams. But he couldn't get any farther than the one he'd dreamed the night before. His memories stopped there. "My name . . . was that my name there? Was it Fireheart? In that world?"

"In Thunderclan," the older boy said. "Are you telling me you don't remember anything?"

Hiro's hands fisted into his hair, "I can't! I only remember a little bit. Just what things looked like. I can't hear anything in those dreams. I don't know names or . . . Anything . . ." He buried his face against his knees.

Toratsume groaned, "that's rather annoying, for some reason . . ." He tapped the younger boy on the shoulder, "look, don't get all uptight about it. I don't remember much either. I only remember up to the point where you were made a warrior. And it's really hazy too. I can't hear most cat's names. Just yours, and a few others." He sighed, and made a face, "like your annoying friend back there. His name is Graystripe."

"Graystripe . . ." Hiro raised green eyes to the older boy, "and you?"

The dark haired boy smirked, "just call me Tora. I can't remember my own name in _that _place."

"I'm Hiro," the orange haired boy whispered, as Tora helped him to his feet.

^-^ ^-^ ^-^

"And you're saying he's the cat from your dream?" Gray laughed as he walked. "That's stupid!"

"It's not," Hiro stated, ignoring the loud snorts and giggles form the taller boy. "He's had the same dreams."

The laughing ceased, "he what? Quit joking around." Gray looked at his companion, his golden eyes narrowed, "you're serious . . . So then, if two complete strangers have had dreams about this place . . . Then it's . . . real."

Hiro nodded slowly. He couldn't understand it, even though his dreams were so vivid, he had always considered them just that. Simply dreams. They couldn't be . . . Reality. That was just to weird. And if they were some sort of reality, then what was he? The rebirth of the cat he was in that forest? Or something else entirely.

Gray glanced at Hiro out of the corner of his eyes. "You're making a weird face Hiro . . ." He leaned down and pulled the smaller boy's cheeks. "Smile, smile! I'm sure that whatever this dream world is, it has nothing to do with now!"

The orange haired boy tried to give his best friend a reassuring smile. But something was prickling at the back of his mind. In his dream, Liran had broken his collar. And this morning, almost the exact same scene had played out, with the bully breaking Hiro's necklace. It couldn't be just a coincidence . . . Could it?

^-^ ^-^ ^-^

Toratsume collapsed backwards across his bed with a heavy sigh. "New town, new house . . ." He ran his hand through his shifting shades of brown hair, "I was supposed to be able to escape those damn dreams this way. Why'd he . . ." he laid his arm across his eyes, clenching his teeth in frustration. "Why'd he have to be here . . ."

He rolled over on his bed, face down on the pillow now. "I don't want this . . . For this world to play out like it did before. That's why we moved . . ." He shut his eyes, feeling the lump forming deep in his throat. "Fireheart . . . What are you doing to me?"

RANDOM AUTHOR RAMBLE

Tebayo . . . Sorry it was a short chapie. I had brain damage on it. But the next thing I wanted to write about is a different matter entirely. Forewarning, in Alternate Universes (AU's), family ties are not as strong as ties of love. So you are forewarned. Family ties, like say, Firestar to his daughter Squirrelflight, are not as strong here. So she may appear in his school, because those ties can cause different outcomes of children. However, a relationship like Graystripe to his kits Stormfur and Feathertail is far stronger, and will thus remain the same. Kay? I think that you can distinguish the strong bonds form the weak ones here.


	3. Chapter 3

**Every Time, My Heart Will Reach Yours**

_Hiro's paws hit the grass in a rapid rhythm. Behind him, Gray kept pace with him. They were urging a black cat with a white tipped tail ahead of them. Something was wrong. They were trying to keep this black furred cat safe. But from what? What were they running from? What were they so scared of?_

_Hiro's memories flickered. To blood stained grass, and a beautiful she-cat lying motionless on the ground. His heart shuddered. His mind skipped again, to a clearing surrounded by four towering oak trees, and a gathering of cats all around him. The small black cat was speaking to a group of other young cats. Hiro turned, noticing hardened amber eyes following his movements._

The young, orange haired boy jerked awake with a startled gasp. That was the first time he'd felt such an ominous feeling from the cat known in the waking world as Toratsume. The first time he'd ever felt real fear inside that mysterious world of his dreams. Hiro stumbled out of bed and pulled on his cloths to get ready for another long day of school.

He was only half way through brushing his teeth when Gray came barreling into his house and dragged him outside, going on and on about how Leon was going to kill him if he was late to school again.

Hiro smiled at his friend as they walked. He found it rather amusing how Gray absolutely worshiped their second period teacher, Leon. But then again, the young professor was Gray's official guardian since Gray's parents had died five years ago.

"Have any other kitty dreams, Hiro?" Gray asked lightly, skipping backwards slightly ahead of his friend.

The smaller boy rolled his eyes, "of course I did you idiot. That's the only thing I ever dream about." He directed his eyes down at the sidewalk. This time had been different though, this time, he'd been scared. Scared of something he couldn't understand.

Gray glanced over down the road, and then down at his watch. "We're walking too fast . . . Now we're gonna be really early." He skipped off the side of the road down onto the grassy slope below. "Let's play in the river!"

Hiro followed him with an exasperated sigh. Gray lay down on his stomach at the edge of the river, reaching out and trailing his hands through the swift, cold, water. "Wow, it's really cold today," he remarked, shoving his hands in deeper.

"That's cause it rained two days ago," Hiro muttered, sitting down on the bank beside him. Gray had withdrawn his hands from the water and was rolling his jeans up to the knees. "Um, what are you doing?" Hiro asked, watching as Gray forced his jeans up even higher.

"I'm gonna go wade!" The taller boy declared, with a demanding point at the river. "You come too Hiro!"

Hiro narrowed his eyes, "yeah right, I'd rather not get soaking wet right before school."

Gray ignored him, and leapt into the river, the water rising past his knees. "Wow! It's deep Hiro! And fast! Wow!" He stomped around in the water, splashing it up on the banks near where Hiro was backing up so he wouldn't get wet. "I'm gonna go in deeper!"

The orange haired boy opened his mouth to say something, when Gray took a few steps forward, and abruptly disappeared beneath the water.

"Gray!" Hiro shrieked, racing down to the edge of the water. His friend had resurfaced, and was struggling in the fast current. "Gray!" Hiro screamed again, barreling into the water.

Strong arms wrapped around Hiro's chest, jerking him backwards through the waist high water. Hiro struggled in the person's grip, "let me go! Can't you see?!?! He going to drown!"

"You idiot! The river's too fast! If you jump in there, you'll drown too!" Toratsume tightened his grip on Hiro as the younger boy tried to bite his arm. "You're so small, you'll get washed away. Stay here, I'll get him."

Suddenly, across the river, someone ran down the bank, threw down a bag, and launched themselves into the rushing water. The person resurfaced, swimming strongly towards where Gray was struggling to stay afloat farther downstream.

Toratsume's eyes widened, "that's . . ." he loosened his grip on Hiro, grabbing the orange haired boy's hand, "come on!"

The two of them ran down the edge of the river, coming to a halt as the person dragged a coughing and gagging Gray out of the water a few moments later.

The person spat out some water, and used a hand to sweep back some of her soaking wet silver hair from her eyes. She leaned down to where Gray was sprawled out across the grass, and pinched his face with both hands. "Moron! Don't go wading in the river after it rains! The undercurrent gets really strong and can suck you under just like that! Don't make me have to come save you like that ever again!"

Hiro blinked, "ummm . . . Thanks for saving him." He ignored Gray's whining as the girl pinched his face even harder, "I'm sorry he's such an idiot. What's your name?"

"Argentum," she said, pinching Gray's cheeks even harder, "and you'd do well to remember that, stupid! Don't wade in the river! Buy a kiddy pool!" She turned to Hiro with a smile, "but you can call me Ari, okay?"

"Okay," Hiro said, returning the smile. Suddenly, pain laced through his head, and he stumbled backwards, bumping into Tora.

"Hiro, are you okay? What's-" Tora raised a hand to his forehead, ending the sentence with a small grunt of pain. He wrapped his other arm around Hiro's chest.

Hiro went limp in Tora's grip as images flashed through his mind. Of the cat-Gray being saved by a beautiful silver she-cat. Of secret, forbidden meetings, of betrayal, and finally, of blood. Tora's hand covered Hiro's mouth just before the younger boy screamed in the agony of what he was seeing. Blood, so much blood.

Tora leaned against Hiro, pulling the redhead back against his chest as they both fell to their knees on the grass. Hiro's anguished cry was muffled against his hand, and he leaned his head against Hiro's shoulder, trying to maintain his sight through the vision of blood. "You . . . You can't say anything to them, Hiro!" He hissed, tightening his grip on the other boy as Hiro struggled. "You are not allowed to change their future! If you say anything, this world could be altered!"

Tora could feel Hiro's tears against the hand that was covering the boy's mouth, "It's possible that it won't happen like that. But you absolutely, _can not_, say anything to them." Hiro went limp in his grasp, and he pulled the smaller boy closer to him, "I'm sorry, but that's the way it is. If we say anything, they'll be even worse off."

Hiro leaned back against Tora, choking back the tears that threatened to overwhelm him at what he saw. The same amber eyes that had brought him so much fear in the world inside his dreams the night before, were now his only source of comfort from a vision of a dark and blood soaked future.

"Is he okay?" Ari asked, looking up from where she was pinching Gray's face again.

"He's fine," Tora whispered, "look, can you get that idiot to school? Hiro's not feeling very good, I'm gonna take him home." He rummaged in his pocket, and handed her a piece of paper. "Here's my number, if he's any trouble, call. Make sure you get his number too, so we can call you next time he does something stupid."

Ari smiled and pocketed the paper, before hauling Gray to his feet and dragging him up the bank.

Toratsume sat there a moment longer, before he hefted Hiro up into his arms. "You're a lot of trouble, you know that kittypet?"

"I . . . can still go to school," Hiro mumbled, wiping some tears from his eyes.

"No you can't. On day's like this, we can't risk you breaking down in the middle of school."

Hiro blinked up at Tora, "_days_ like this? You mean that I'll have more visions like that?"

Tora turned regretful amber eyes to him, "yes. You're only sixteen, right? I've been having dreams and visions since I was fifteen. And the one we just had, was only one of many blood soaked flashes I've witnessed. And there will probably be many more to come."

RANDOM AUTHOR RAMBLE

Yay! I've been excited to write this scene for awhile. In case you didn't know. Argentum is Silverstream. Argentum is Latin for Silver. But it sounded weird as a name, so her nickname is Ari. Next chapter, we'll get to see two new characters, as well as some AU TigerFire fluff. O_o


	4. Chapter 4

**Every Time, My Heart Will Reach Yours**

Tora hefted Hiro up so he balanced in the crook of one arm, fishing out keys from his pocket. "Where are we?" The redhead muttered, leaning his head against Tora's shoulder.

"My place," Tora said, shoving the door open. He walked into the front room, and set Hiro down on the couch. "Three, two, one . . ." he muttered under his breath.

Suddenly, a small, dark haired boy shot out of the hallway and leapt up onto Toratsume with an excited squeal. "Big brother! Why are you home so early! Can we play?" The boy turned his green eyes to look at Hiro with a grin, "who's that?!?!"

Tora set the boy down on the ground beside the couch where Hiro was sitting, "Raven, this is Hiro, he goes to my school. Hiro, this is my annoying little brother, Raven."

Hiro nodded, and smiled at the boy. He glanced at Tora, his mind recalling the dream he'd had the night before, of running to lead a small black cat away from harm. Tora gave him a small smile of understanding, "Ravenpaw," he said quietly, so the boy couldn't hear.

"Raven, go call your cousin, okay? I need her to come over and check Hiro out."

The little boy jumped up and down, "yay! I get to use the phone!" He raced out of the room.

The redhead laughed, "he's so cute. Are your parents at work right now?"

Tora smiled faintly, "no. they passed away right after Raven was born."

"You take care of him all by yourself?" Hiro gasped.

"Yeah, it's not that hard or anything now. It was a few years ago. But my cousin's been helping us out, so we're okay now. And I work too." He poked Hiro's chest, "which is why I haven't graduated yet. I'm too busy for school."

The doorbell rang, and Tora stood up, muttering something about a stalker, and "got here to fast for a mortal" under his breath as he opened the door.

"You called?" A young woman in her early twenties stood in the doorway. Her hair was a beautiful white-blonde flecked with streaks of brown and gold.

"Yeah, like two seconds ago you freak. Stalker," Toratsume said darkly.

"I live down the street, so it's not that weird," the woman said, whisking into the room. "So Raven said something about a boy needing checked out?"

Tora rolled his eyes, "yeah. Hiro, this is my cousin, Mitsuki."

Mitsuki's eyes fell upon the redhead on the couch, and she gasped, "Tora! This is- Why didn't you tell me that you had found him!"

"Found who-" Hiro started, but he was interrupted as Mitsuki zipped across the room to his side, taking his hands in her own.

"You're Fireheart!" She exclaimed, "Oh, bless Starclan, I never thought I'd get to see you here!"

"Tora undid her hands from Hiro's with a low growl, "can you be professional, please? Hiro just had his first vision. He's a little shook up."

"Oh . . ." Mitsuki said sadly, "that's too bad. I thought only Tora got those. Apparently both you and he witnessed many things far worse than what I did in that place." She smiled, "I remember too, you know. My name is Spottedleaf."

Hiro's eyes widened, " . . . but you . . . In my dreams, you-"

"Died," Mitsuki said, sticking an electronic thermometer in Hiro's ear, pulling it out to read the temperature. "I know. But here, that didn't happen."

"Living example of how sometimes, the visions don't replay here in this reality," Tora stated. "What's his temperature?"

"One hundred on the dot," she said crisply. "Tora gets fever's after his visions too, it's normal." She hugged the redhead, "eek! I just can't get over how insanely cute you are here! Too bad you're way too young for me." She pulled away as Tora growled again. "Tora, let me check you too."

The teenager jerked away, leaning over Hiro and picking the smaller boy up. "I'm fine, nothing I've never dealt with before." He started towards the stairs.

"I'll make some soup!" Mitsuki called after him. "And I'll keep Raven out of your fur so you can rest!"

Tora sighed, and carried Hiro up the stairs. "I can walk," the boy protested in Tora's grip.

"Just be quiet," the older boy muttered. "I knew it was a bad idea to call her as soon as I said it. She's so . . . Weird." He sighed again, "and she's a liar about the visions. I know she's had them too. She sees, and hears, everything from that other world. You can tell by the way she talks. Saying 'bless Starclan' and 'out of your fur'."

Toratsume opened a door, and set Hiro down on the bed inside the room. "She's a doctor, you know. I bet she decided on that after her own visions and dreams started. She was something similar in _that_ place."

"Oh," Hiro said. "So . . . Umm . . . Back at the river, why were you there anyways?"

"That's the rout I've been taking to school the past two weeks. And I saw you about to jump in after your friend, so I stopped you," Tora shrugged.

Hiro nodded, "okay . . . And . . . In that other place . . . Did you ever . . ." He gulped, "did you ever kill anyone?"

Tora's eyes narrowed, "did you dream that?"

Hiro looked away, "no! I just . . ." He glanced at Tora with emerald eyes, "I have a feeling . . ."

"You're right," Tora whispered, "I did. But that was the way of the warrior, you know?"

"And in real life?"

Tora leaned over towards Hiro across the bed, taking the smaller boy's chin in his hand, "I did. Red was a member of a gang I used to work for. Understand that. I was too young when my parents died to get a job, only thirteen. So a local gang hired me, and I got paid well enough that I didn't have to send Raven to a foster home. Red got captured two years ago by a rival gang. The Umi. And my group, the Chi, went to go get him back. But they had already tortured Red out of his mind, he was going to die anyways. Or if I brought him back, my boss would have murdered him flat out. So I shot him. He asked me too, and I did." Tora looked straight into Hiro's shocked eyes, "I'm not proud of what I did, Hiro. I left the gang. But it had to be done. He died so fast he didn't even feel it. And my boss would have gutted him slowly and painfully. That's how he worked. I did Red a favor."

"You killed . . ." Hiro choked out.

"I did."

"That's why . . . In the dreams . . . I'm so scared of you . . ."

"I'm sorry," Tora whispered. "The cat I am then . . . Is not something I am proud of." He leaned back away from Hiro, "someday, I might have to kill again, Hiro. I can't guarantee that my hands will remain clean. I'm giving you the chance to run, here and now. If you leave right now, you can have nothing more to do with me. And I'll never talk to you again."

Hiro stared down at the blankets on the bed, "I'm not leaving. It's too difficult to just see the things I see in dreams alone." He looked up at Tora with a faint smile, "if I share them with you, like I did today by the river, it'll be easier, I think."

"That sounds really corny," Tora smirked.

RANDOM AUTHOR RAMBLE

Lalalalalalala . . . Btw, Mitsuki means "full moon." I named Spottedleaf after the Moonstone because I couldn't think of anything else. Ah, and Red is Redtail obviously. The gang names are Umi (water) and Chi (blood). And I wonder if you all could guess who Tora's gang boss is? He'll be showing up later, and I gave an accurate description of how he kills. 0:

Triplets next chapy I think.

Also, does everyone think I'm keeping Tigerclaw in character? I try . . . But it's hard when I want to change the path he was on in Warriors.


	5. Chapter 5

**Every Time, My Heart Will Reach Yours**

Hiro awoke the next morning to find himself unveiled in white sheets curled against Tora's chest. He couldn't remember when he'd actually fallen asleep. Maybe it had been after Mitsuki had brought them some soup. He couldn't really remember what had happened after that. Maybe that's when he'd conked out.

He unconsciously snuggled closer to Tora under the blankets. He had felt so cold the night before, until he'd fallen asleep, when Tora's equally fever hot body had warmed his own. Gray's voice rang in his head "_What? Hiro, are you crushing on a kitty?_"

Hiro slapped his own face, trying to destroy that thought. In fact, he shouldn't even be here at all. From all he'd seen in his dreams, from all Tora had told him . . . The cat the older boy had been, was his enemy.

Beside him, the dark haired boy shifted and rolled over onto his stomach, his left arm hooking over Hiro's shoulders. His amber eyes cracked open, and he blinked in sleepy confusion as he stared at the redhead. "Nnn . . . Fireheart?"

The redhead blushed furiously, "it's Hiro, stupid. Hiiii-ro."

Tora smirked, "fine then. In exchange for that, stop calling me 'stupid'. It's lame and immature." He poked Hiro forehead with another broad smirk. "Anyways, what time is it? Are we late for school? I want to see what Miss Aoi did to Gray after he showed up soaking wet."

Hiro laughed as he rolled over and grabbed Tora's alarm clock off of the bedside dresser. He held it above his head and blinked up at it, "seven in the morning," he stated.

"Let's go then. If we miss another day Mr. Mashiro will give us a random test."

The younger boy laughed again.

^-^ ^-^ ^-^

"You were laaaaaattteeee . . ." Gray said in a singsong tone as he and Hiro walked down the hallway to lunch. "Miss Aoi made you and Tora write liiiiiiinnnneesss . . ." He reached into his pocket and whipped out a vibrating, bright green, cell phone. "Yay! Text!"

Hiro tried in vain to read the message over Gray's shoulder as the taller boy laughed and twirled the cell out of his line of sight. His fingers flew across the buttons as he sent a reply at high speed. "Who was that?" Hiro asked, standing on tiptoes to try and catch a glimpse of the phone's screen.

Gray turned an extremely wide grin towards him, "Ari. She gave me her number!" He did a little jump in the air and began to skip down the hallway. "Isn't that great! She's so cool!" He stared at the ceiling as he walked, "and cute, and pretty, and amazing and-"

"Just get married all ready, yeesh," Hiro muttered, ignoring Gray's startled gasp. He glanced at his best friend with a Toratsume like smirk, "look, I'm you." He skipped ahead of Gray, "Ohhhh, I love her, let me skip around like a huge flowery pile of gay." He turned towards Gray again and laughed.

"Ha ha, very funny," Gray grinned, "so, anywho . . . Where were you yesterday? You got all weird and Tora carried you off. And you were both late this morning too . . ." He jumped up and pointed an accusing finger at Hiro. "Arrrrgghhhh! You spent the night at his house, DIDN'T YOU!!!????"

"I fell asleep there on _accident_," Hiro stated with a blush.

"Riiiiight," Gray drew the word out sarcastically. "And there was none of this," He put his hands behind his head and thrust his hips a few times with a laugh.

"Gray!" Hiro hissed, highly embarrassed. "That's rude. And inappropriate," he added.

"That doesn't answer my question," Gray said, skipping after him down the hallway.

"We didn't do anything," Hiro muttered. "It's not like that, okay? He's-"

"Not into you? Only likes girls? Has a kitty fetish? Couldn't get it up?"

"Was my enemy in the world we both see in our dreams," Hiro finished, ignoring Gray's rant of other unrelated reasons.

The taller boy looked up at the ceiling for a moment, thinking, before he spoke, "So what?" He glanced at Hiro with somber gold eyes, "That was then. This is now. Can't you recall anything about your feelings there? You can't have hated him as much as you obviously think you did. Your true feelings are the only ones that should carry over across whatever time or space separates the two realities."

Hiro's eyes widened, "Gray, you . . ." It couldn't be, Gray had never spoken like that, like he may have actually remembered something.

"I don't remember, if that's what you mean," Gray grinned, "and frankly, I don't really want to. I knowing my future, or the future of that life, I wouldn't want that."

The redhead swallowed, "not even if . . . Not even if it was something terrible?"

Gray smiled, his eyes full if something Hiro could not comprehend. Something on the line of knowing, and trying to forget. "No. I wouldn't." He shrugged, "anyways, I have a song for you." He flashed Hiro a toothy grin raising his hands up to his chest and pointing at the ceiling, "Hiro and Tora sitting in a treeeee. K-I-S-S-I-N-G."

"GRAY!"

^-^ ^-^ ^-^

An orange haired boy of about fifteen leaned back against a tree in the yard in the front of the school. Another boy that looked identical to him in build and features, with bright blue eyes and silver-gray hair, was sprawled across his lap. On the boy's other side, a girl of the same height with short black hair and green eyes leaned against his shoulder.

The orange haired boy ran a hand through the other boy's sliver-gray hair. "SO this is the school cousin Hiro goes to, huh?"

The girl sat up, "it seems so, Leo, that's what our mother said."

"Yes, but I didn't see him before school, Holly," Leo stated, running his fingers through the other boy's hair again.

"He's here," the gray haired boy murmured, "I can feel him. This place certainly is . . . Interesting."

"Interesting how, Jay?" Leo asked.

"Interesting. Just that. There are lot's of people like us around here. And not just at Raikou High." Jay reached up, twining his fingers with those of the oldest triplet. "People who've seen _that _world. Whether they remember it, like I do. Or whether they don't. Like you two."

"Oh really, you can tell?" Leo purred, highly amused. "Well, we can worry about that tomorrow. Will you be okay getting around the school by yourself? We ended up in different classes."

Jay reached up with his other hand, running slim fingers over Leo's eyes, closing them. "Stop worrying. I may be blind . . . But most times . . ." He smirked, "My eyes see better than yours . . ."

RANDOM AUTHOR RAMBLE

OMG, the Three! Kyah! I hope everyone enjoys my characterization of them. Btw, Jay will not be using a cane. Cause it makes me feel like I'm degrading him. He manages just fine in Thunderclan, he'll do fine here.

Also . . . Mr. Mashiro, is Whitestorm. Mashiro means "pure white".

And Raikou High School is their school. Raikou means "lightning". You may recognize it as the name of the thunder pokemon from Johto. (god I'm a nerd . . .)

I've decided Berry and Birch will not show up here. That would hurt my brain too much. I might try a side story with them sometime, but not now. Breezepelt is due to show soon tho! Yay!


	6. Chapter 6

**Every Time, My Heart Will Reach Yours**

_Tora watched as Fireheart balanced precariously on a thin branch over the rushing, swollen, water of a stream inside their territory. He watched as his paws, his own paws, reached out, and pushed the edge of the branch off of the safety of the bank._

_Fireheart gave a startled mew, before plummeting into the water below. The orange furred tom struggled in the water, before he disappeared beneath it._

_Tora felt horror and shock grip him. "What have I done . . ."_

The dark haired boy jerked awake, holding back a gasp as he did so. He had dozed off in the middle of Mr. Mashiro's History class again. If he gave any sign that he hadn't been paying attention, he'd have to stay after school _again_.

He glanced over his shoulder, feeling questioning eyes on him, and smiled slightly as he noticed Hiro staring at him worriedly. He gave the younger boy a curt nod, knowing that Hiro would understand that it had been one of _those_ dreams.

"_Swimming_?" Hiro said sullenly, staring down at the water of the school's pool. "Since when did the normal gym class include swimming?" He crouched down a good ten feet from the pool and glared at it. "This crap is for Riverclan, damnit."

Tora smirked from where he was standing behind him, adjusting the strings on his school issued swimsuit. "So whiny. You're not a cat any longer, get over it."

Hiro turned an icy glare towards his friend, "and you don't care at all?"

"I was a lifeguard at the pool in the last place I lived," he said bluntly, proving his point. "Look, Gray seems fine with it."

The gray haired teen was currently swishing his feet through the water from where he sat on the edge of the pool, laughing happily. Hiro glared at him, but Gray took no notice. "That doesn't make any sense. Since he almost _drowned_ last week. I mean, you think he'd get it through his head."

The Physical Education teacher, Mr. Kaze, clapped his hands together. "Stop messing around kids. Everyone file over to the deep end of the pool. The group of students grumbled and complained as they were herded over to the other end of the pool. "Right then," Kaze said, "Raise your hand if you're a good swimmer already. I need someone to demonstrate the basic strokes.

A girl in the middle of the group raised a tentative hand. "Good, Misty. You're on the swim team, right?" He looked over the group, "One more please. A guy." He pointed into the students, "Ash, let's go."

A boy with dark gray hair was pushed forward by his classmates, "wha? Kaze I hate-"

"You were a lifeguard over at the pool in the city this summer. Don't lie."

The two hopped into the pool, and Kaze began issuing orders to direct their demonstrative movements. "Good, good. Now show them the Basic Float. Perfect.

Tora smirked as he heard Ash's annoyed mutterings from the water. But Misty wasn't complaining at all. Probably because she knew if she did, Kaze would tell her mother, Miss Aoi.

Suddenly, as the two were climbing out of the pool, Hiro fell forwards with a startled yell, and crashed into the water. Tora's head whipped around, taking in the laughing Liran and Dust with a growl, before he launched himself into the water.

Tora pushed his way down towards the rapidly sinking Hiro._ And this idiot expected to save Gray the other day?_ He reached out, pulling the redhead's limp form to him, and kicked up to the surface.

As he dragged the unconscious boy up onto the side of the pool, he saw Gray and Ash pinning down the two boys who had pushed Hiro in, while the teacher was leaning over the edge of the pool worriedly. "Is he okay? Should we call the hospital?" Kaze asked.

Tora grunted as he hefted himself out of the pool, "he'll be fine in a moment. Fucking assholes. It happened so suddenly he swallowed a ton of water in his panic." He bent over Hiro on his hands and knees, a slight blush creeping over his face at what he knew he had to do._ At least I wasn't the one who did this to him, _he thought.

He pinched the end of the redhead's nose, and took a deep breath. Tora pressed his lips to the smaller boys, trying to quell the feeling of his heart hammering in his chest as he did so. He breathed into Hiro's mouth, pulled back, and did it again.

After a few moments of silence, Hiro coughed, and gagged up a mouthful of water. He lay on the edge of the pool, his breath coming in short, ragged, gasps. Above the noise of the class's relieved sighs, Kaze grabbed the two culprits and began hauling them back inside the main building. "Detentions, and a suspension is I have anything to say about it!"

Hiro turned glazed emerald eyes up to the dark haired boy, still crouched on his hands and knees above him. "You . . . Saved me . . ."

Tora's hands grasped the sides of the smaller boy's face, and he leaned his forehead against Hiro's. "Of course I did . . . You moron."

Hiro's hand trailed up, curling against Toratsume's back. His tongue flicked out, running briefly along his own lips. The older boy had used mouth to mouth on him, he could tell in the way Tora was looking at him, their foreheads touching. The dark haired teen had his eyes closed, to avoid eye contact with the redhead.

He wondered what it would feel like, to have those lips on his own in a different way, a more passionate one. He blinked in surprise at his own thoughts. He couldn't do something like that. This person was his former enemy in that other place. He was a _boy_.

Tora opened his eyes briefly, noting the confused look in Hiro's eyes. What was he thinking about? The older boy pulled away, wondering if the close contact was disturbing to the other. He stood up, running a hand through his hair. "Er . . . Sorry. I mean . . ." He waved his other hand airily, "I wont make you owe me or anything. Just forget I saved you at all . . ."

Hiro sat up, watching as Tora walked away. What the hell was going on?

RANDOM AUTHOR RAMBLE

I feel slow paced right now . . . In "Love Rebound" by chapter six, I had smut. Here, not even a real kiss yet. *sighs* I know exactly when I want the first smut scene in this fic, and it's a ways away. Nooooo fair . . . But it's plot essential. Aaaaaaaaaarrrgghhhhh . . .

I want to write it now! I've been planning it since the fic started!

New charies

Ash - Ashfur

Misty - Mistyfoot

Dust - Dustpelt

Kaze - Runningwind. Kaze means "wind". I thought he fit best for P.E. teacher.

Also . . . Yes, I was being sarcastic sorta when I used "Ash" and "Misty" as the helpers. I just wanted a random reason to mush them together cause of their names. (not as a pairing tho. Just as an irony thing.) most of you are probably going "wha?" right now. *cough*pokemon*cough*


	7. Chapter 7

**Every time, My Heart Will Reach Yours**

Jay ran his hand down the wall of the hallway. He'd become accustomed to his new school in the week he'd been there, and was able to accurately navigate his way to his classes. None of his classmates had really even noticed his blindness. His teachers knew, and never said anything when he was late for class. But the feelings emanating from his classmates weren't connected to him in the slightest. He knew from experience that kids only directed sympathy and other such emotions at him if they knew.

Maybe he'd just gotten better at hiding it. He'd refused to use a cane since he was young, and didn't use a seeing-eye dog either. He'd become used to using touch, hearing, even smell, instead of eyes. And he had made it a habit to look at people when he spoke to them, or them to him.

He turned the corner, trailing his fingers across the pointed edge of the wall. His eyes snapped fully open from where he'd had them in his usual, half lidded expression, as a hand touched his shoulder.

"Hey, you're in my next class. Jay, right?" Jay felt and heard the hand move from his shoulder up to the wall above him, and he heard the person talking to him let out a whoosh of air as someone else in the crowded hall bumped him.

"What are you doing?" Jay asked, as yet another person bumped into the boy standing in front of him.

"Just-uff. Just walking with you, if that's okay?" He reached down and tapped Jay between the shoulders. "Oh, Aoi's class is in the computer lab today. There was a sign on the door. He placed the hand against the light-gray haired boys back again, just between the shoulder blades. "Here, let me show you where it is, you haven't had a class there yet, right?"

Jay let himself be steered through the crowd to the opposite side of the hall. He touched his hand to it, ready to memorize the path to this new place. "Uhm . . . I'm sorry, but who are you?" He asked, looking up sightlessly at the person guiding him slowly down the hallway.

"I'm Breeze," the boy said lightly, his hand still resting on Jay's back, edging him gently forward. "I'm in almost all of your classes, 'cept third period. I have gym then." They turned a corner, and Breeze continued talking, "your brother's in my gym class. He's a lot taller than you, even though you're triplets. That's a little weird. I'm taller than you too, by at least four or five inches," Breeze said. They stopped, and the boy removed his hand from Jay's back for a moment, "here, let me get the door for you."

Jay shivered as the hand returned to it's place between his shoulder blades. Beside him, Breeze spoke up, yelling enthusiastically across the room. "Hey Miss Aoi! Sorry we're late!"

"Just sit down at a computer, Breeze. Jay, I can give you this lesson differently later if you'd-"

"I've got him, Miss Aoi," Breeze said, leading Jay towards an end computer. He moved the hand to the smaller boy's shoulder, pulling up an extra chair, "here, sit."

Jay reached behind him, feeling around for the chair before he sat. He listened as Breeze plopped down in the chair beside him, his fingers already flying across the keyboard to get to the required website.

"Alright, here we go," Breeze said finally. "we're choosing what books we want to read for our next group assignment. What kind of genera do you want to read?"

"Uhmm . . ." Jay's first thought was, pick the one that comes in brail or audio format, but he couldn't just say that, he didn't want anyone to know yet. "Fantasy," he said finally.

"Okay . . . Here, what about this one, "The Once And Future King"? It's about King Arthur. It looks a little bit long . . . Oh, it comes in Audio, cool," he said casually.

"That one's good then," Jay said quietly.

"Okay, I'll go sign your name under that group on the board. I'll read it too I think." The boy was gone for a moment, before he returned and sat down beside the Jay at the computer again. "Do you like music?" Breeze asked.

"Of course," Jay said somewhat sarcastically. Who didn't like music? His eyes widened as Breeze's hand touched his, and an earphone was placed against his palm. "We're done on the net . . . So you wanna listen to my ipod with me?"

Breeze waited until Jay hesitantly put the bud in his ear, "what kind of music do you like?"

"Techno, light rock, pop," Jay listed.

"Kay," Breeze tapped the ipod a few times, stopping on a Nickelback song. "How's this?"

Jay nodded, and pushed the ear bud into his ear farther, "it's fine." He glanced at the boy beside him in an effort to make it look like he was tying to make eye contact. When he felt the other boy's gaze rest on him, he spoke. "Uhm . . . This is going to sound really weird, probably . . . But can I . . . touch you? Your face I mean. I just-"

Breeze laughed quietly, "yeah, that's cool." He took one of the smaller boy's hands and raised it to his cheek, "you want to feel what I look like, right?"

The light-gray haired teen's heart stopped, "you . . . Knew?"

"Does that bother you?"

Jay ran his hand along the boy's cheek down to his jawbone, raising his other hand up to the opposite side of Breeze's face. "No . . . but you . . . Treated me normally. You didn't say anything, and . . ." _and your feelings weren't of pity. _

He trailed his fingers up to the other boy's lips, feeling the smile on the edges of his mouth. Slowly, he traced them over Breeze's nose, and up to his eyes. "Colors," he said, "give me colors."

Breeze didn't question if he even knew colors, "my eyes are amber. And my hair is a really dark black."

Jay ran his fingers through the short, spiky black hair, different in from his own shoulder length hair. "I feel like . . . I've met you before . . ." He whispered.

^-^ ^-^ ^-^

Hiro walked down the school's hallways, peeking into any empty classrooms he came across. Tora usually walked home with him and Gray these days, but yesterday, and the day before after that incident at the pool, he hadn't. Hiro knew he could always just pop by Tora's house, but he felt that that would be rude.

He poked his head into another empty classroom, and grinned as he caught sight of the teen he was looking for leaning against the window frame, his chin resting in his hands as he gazed out at the front courtyard of the school. Hiro didn't have any intention of letting Tora worm his way out of walking home with him today.

"Hey, Tora!" He called, sliding casually into the room, "I was looking for you!"

Tora's head whipped around, "ah! Hiro . . ." He muttered a few curse words under his breath, "I really can't walk home with you today . . ."

Hiro raised an eyebrow, "oh, but you have time to just sit around and stare out the window?" He walked over and leaned against the window frame beside his companion. "I guess that's soooo much more interesting than hanging out with your friends." He glanced at Tora, turning his head slightly, "talk. What's going on that you're avoiding me?"

Tora inhaled deeply. With Hiro's face this close to his, he knew he couldn't stop himself. And yet, the back of his mind was screaming at him to stop, that this person was the same one that he had hated in that place.

Hiro's eyes widened as Tora's lips met his, and then closed as Tora's hands grazed up to clutch his face. He took a rapid breath as the older boy pulled back for moment, "don't stop . . ." he pleaded.

The older boy's hands trailed down to Hiro's back, pulling him closer as their lips locked once more in another searing kiss. "I'm sorry, he whispered as he took a breath, "I know it shouldn't be like this . . . I just . . ."

"Stop talking," Hiro insisted, standing on his tiptoes to kiss the taller boy back, "I don't care. Just . . . Stay . . ."

RANDOM AUTHOR RAMBLE

Off-task-JayBreeze-fluff . . . Smut for JayBreeze will be in a side story, but the main plot of their high school awsumness will be here. After one or two more chapters, I may skip ahead a few months in time. Like . . . Six months to be accurate. Cause I want to speed up the FireTiger stuff. Otherwise this story will be like . . . Fifty chapters. Where as I'm shooting for twenty or so. Twenty-five if I can. And the part I'm cutting is a bunch of nothing anyways. *thumbs up*


	8. Chapter 8

**Every Time, My Heart Will Reach Yours**

"YOU WHAT!?!?!" Gray's voice was shrill, and was instantly cut short by Hiro throwing frantic hands over his mouth. The taller boy glared at him, and peeled the hands away, "seriously?" He hissed, "you seriously made out with Tora in an empty class room yesterday?!?!"

"I did," Hiro muttered, "now just shut up. I'm not very happy about it either."

Gray raised a critical eyebrow, "what? Who said I wasn't happy about it? I'm just surprised you got to first base in . . . five seconds."

"I said shut up!" Hiro hissed.

"Why? You asked him to keep going after it started, didn't you? So why are you regretting it now?" He leaned down and poked Hiro's chest, "if this is about that enemy thing again . . ."

"So what if it is," the orange haired teen muttered, "look, I can't just . . . Ignore what happened in the forest, okay? It's possible that we may have even killed each other, I don't know." He ran a hand through his hair and sighed, "doesn't that matter?"

Gray smiled sympathetically at him, "it really sucks to be you, doesn't it." He shrugged as Hiro shot him a glare, "look, whatever happens, will happen, okay? No matter what you choose to do. But I really think, that above all, your feelings should be the most important, right?" He stared up at the sky, "you're accusing him of a crime he didn't commit, I think." He put a hand over Hiro's half open mouth before the other boy could speak, "hush. What happened in the world you dream about, and what will happen in this one, are not the same. Kitties can't make out, so you just proved that." He smirked as Hiro muttered something under his breath.

"Just . . . Try not to let those dreams get the better of you," Gray said, "there's always a way . . . To change the future." He stood up from where he was sitting on the edge of Hiro's bed with a casual sideways glance out the window, "well, gotta go!" Before Hiro could say anything, he was down the hall, down the stairs, and out the door.

Hiro followed that same path and stuck his head out the door a moment to see Gray skipping down the street, before closing it and heading into the kitchen. He was interrupted in his search through the fridge as the doorbell rang. "If it's Gray again . . . I'm gonna punch him," the teen muttered.

Little footsteps sounded down the hallway, and Hiro heard the door sing wide open. There was silence for a moment, before a voice exclaimed, "whoa! Hiro who the heck is this cool looking guy! Whoa! He's bleeding Hiro! Hiro Look!"

Hiro slid into the main room, and scooped up the small, white haired boy standing in the doorway, before raising his eyes up to the person outside the house. "T-Tora!"

Toratsume had a hand held over the bridge of his nose, his eye's screwed half open in a slightly pained look. Blood was dripping across his face from underneath where his hand was. "Hey, sorry to just stop by like this . . . But Raven freaks when I come home hurt . . . And I really don't want Mitsuki knowing yet . . ."

Hiro set the little boy down on the floor, "Cloud, go get the first aid kit for me please. And a bowl of hot water and a washrag. Hurry." He turned and grabbed Tora's hand, waiting as Cloud dashed off, before leading the older boy up to his room.

"What happened," it wasn't a question, merely a demand.

"I didn't kill anyone," Tora stated with a hint of annoyance, knowing that that was Hiro's real question. "One of the Chi's hired thugs showed up, and I beat the shit out of him, okay?"

Hiro opened the door to his room and pushed Tora onto the bed. He raised a hand up to trail his fingers across a bruise on the teen's shoulder, "are you sure it wasn't the other way around?"

Tora laughed weakly, "yeah. He's unconscious, tied up outside the police station. They've found him by now." He looked up as the little boy came into the room carrying the asked for items. "You're brother?" He asked as Hiro shooed Cloud back out of the room.

"Yes," Hiro said bluntly, taking the washrag out of the bowl of warm water and ringing it out. "Now, let's see what's under that hand."

A bit reluctantly, Tora removed his hand from the bridge of his nose. Hiro gasped at the length, and depth of the cut he saw. It stretched across the older boy's nose, down to the tops of either cheek, and was deep enough that he could see the bone through the thin layers of shredded skin. "You need to go to a hospital!" Hiro gasped.

"I can't," Tora stated, "I don't have the time or the money for that."

Hiro hesitantly raised the rag up to Tora's face, cleaning the edges of the cut, "Hell, Tora. What the hell."

Tora shrugged, "he had a knife. I was lucky he didn't stick me through the ribs with it."

"Why's your old gang coming after you anyways?" Hiro asked, wetting the rag down with rubbing alcohol.

The older teen hissed as the stinging liquid met the cut, "No one's allowed to just leave the gang, Hiro. If you want to leave, they beat the living shit out of ya' first. I slipped away." He smirked, "but I just take out their lackies and turn them into the cops before they get me. And when said lackies don't return, they never even bother to look for them. Cause they know they'll get caught if they try and bail them out or contact them. They can't figure out where I am like that." He waved a hand lazily, "besides, they only send guys after me when they have nothing better to do. So . . . Ever few months."

Hiro growled as he stretched out a thread and pulled it through a needle, "so, I can expect a bloody Tora on my doorstep ever two months? Lovely." He tied the end of the thread, "okay, no whining now. Just sit still."

"Is that even the right kind of thread?" Tora asked, wincing as Hiro made the first stitch through his skin.

"Yes. Now shut up," he made another stitch, ignoring Tora's flinch.

"Why are you so . . . Pissed?" the older boy asked. He reached out his hands and looped them around Hiro's back, pulling the smaller boy up onto the bed. He held him in that position, Hiro on his knees, leg on either side of Tora's own, his body raised a height slightly higher than his.

"I was . . . Worried," Hiro whispered, as he continued to stitch up the cut. "I mean, you just walked into my house covered in blood, acting like nothing even happened . . ." He bit off the end of the thread and tied it. "This is gonna scar, bad," he stated, looking down at his handiwork, "even with stitches."

"Then I'll look awesome and manly," Tora smirked as Hiro began to dab away any excess blood from the stitched wound with the washrag.

Hiro smiled faintly, pulling the rag away and setting it back in the bowl. "Idiot," he murmured, leaning down and kissing Tora gently.

Tora's eyes widened, "wait . . . Are you really sure about . . . This?" He trailed a hand through Hiro's orange hair, "I mean . . ."

"Yeah," Hiro said with a smile, "it's okay. I'd like to . . . Stay at your side, for now at least, if that's okay?"

Tora grinned, "I'd like that."

RANDOM AUTHOR RAMBLE

. . . . Arrrrrrggghhhhh . . . I want the smut scene now! Dangit! But there's at least five or so chapters till that! :p *ppppphhhhhh*

*sighs* right now, their in the Forest of Secrets time period btw. And they will still be I n that frame after the time skip at the end of next chapter. Actually, we're stuck in FoS until further notice. And then we'll probably skip to Darkest Hour or something like that. *shrugs* with fluff and smut as fillers for the other two books in between. FYI, Jay and Breeze will show up whenever I can't think of anything else to write for FireTiger. *thumbs up*


	9. Chapter 9

**Every Time, My Heart Will Reach Yours**

"Hold hands! Hold hands!" Gray cooed from behind where Tora and Hiro were walking out of the school building.

"No way!" They both yelled together, surprising Gray.

The sixteen year old ran a hand through his hair and laughed, "look, you're already on the same weird wave length!" Gray ignored the icy glares he got from them and continued on in his little rant. "Soooooo . . . Did you guys do it yet?"

"Gray!" Hiro yelled.

"What?" Gray asked innocently, batting his eyelashes, "you'd tell your old buddy if you were making whoopee with a guy, right?"

Hiro cast a sideways glance at Tora, "you can kill him now."

Tora smirked, cracking his knuckles, "good. Maybe we could stuff a bar of soap down his dirty mouth too."

The orange haired boy shot Gray a thumbs up sign, "sounds good. Let him have it."

Gray skipped out of the way before Tora could grab him, "hehehehehehehehe! Can't catch meeeeee!" He reached into his pocket and withdrew his bright green cell phone, opening it up and putting it to his ear. "Ari? What's uuuuuuupppp!" Tora had grabbed him by the back of his shirt. "Dammit Tora, let go," he hissed. "Outside the school gate? Be there in a sec."

Hiro and Tora exchanged a quizzical glance, before Tora released Gray. "What's going on?"

"Ari came to meet me!" Gray chirped, racing off towards the front of the school, "hey! You come too! We should have a double date!"

Hiro chuckled as they lagged behind the over enthusiastic boy. "What class gives that kid candy every day?" Tora muttered beside him.

"Lunch?" Hiro suggested. They drew up towards the gates, catching sight of Gray striding up to Ari. "Let's just stay back and spy on them for now. Then we can get on his case later."

"Right," Tora smirked.

They leaned against a tree a good fifty feet from the pair, watching as Gray greeted her with as much enthusiasm as usual. Ari took his hands in hers saying something to quiet for their straining ears to hear. Gray leaned closer to her, listening as she spoke softly to him, a worried look on his face.

Hiro reached out, and like Gray had asked him to earlier, twined his fingers with Tora's nervously. "Something's wrong," he whispered. "Something's really wrong."

Ari had pulled away from Gray now, and Hiro could see tears in her eyes. The dark-gray haired teen leaned forwards and grabbed her arm, pulling her back to him and into a tight embrace. "Let's go," Hiro urged, pulling Tora behind him.

Gray looked up from where he was hugging the crying Ari close to him as the pair approached. He smiled weakly at them, "holding hands, huh?" He turned back to Ari, "I can tell them, right?" She nodded against his chest, and he returned his gaze to the other two boys. "Guys . . . Ari's . . . pregnant."

Hiro's eyes widened, but Tora didn't even blink, "what? With your kid?" Gray nodded, "jeeze Gray . . . I knew you really were a pervert."

Ari laughed, raising her head up from Gray's shoulder, "I was going to get an abortion . . . But Gray said not to." She smiled, "so now you get to be an uncle, Hiro, what do you think?"

"I feel old," Hiro remarked. "But Gray's right, you should have the kid!" the three of them laughed. Hiro's eyes widened slightly as Tora's grip on his hand tightened, and he noticed that the older boy hadn't laughed, or said a word since Gray had told them the news. "Hey, Tora and I are gonna go grab our stuff, we should all go out for a burger to celebrate, kay?" Hiro tugged on the other boy's hand and led him back into the school building.

"What's going on?" He hissed, pushing the older boy back against the wall. "did you see something?"

Tora slowly shook his head, "no, I just . . ." He looked up at the ceiling, avoiding Hiro's eyes. "the lapse of time between what you see, and what I see, are very different. I've already witnessed the full of what we saw in that vision, Hiro."

Hiro's eyes widened, "what? You know what will . . . Tell me what you saw!"

"I wont," Tora said quietly, "you saw it, Hiro, in that vision of blood. But I wont tell you what my dreams have already told me." He sighed, taking note of the hurt and furious look in Hiro's eyes. He reached out, taking the smaller boy's chin in his hand. "We can't interfere, Hiro. Even if you dream of me, or I of you. Even if it's a terrible, horrible vision. We can't talk about the things we see there that pertain to life and death. Understood?"

As Tora said those words, Hiro felt his heart stop beating, "if I . . . saw something happen to you?" He grasped hold of the front of Tora's shirt, "what are you saying? That you're gonna . . ."

"I'm not saying that I'm going to die," Tora murmured, pulling Hiro into his embrace, "I haven't seen anything like that. I'm just saying, should _you_ see it, don't say anything, don't do anything. Whatever happens, will happen, all right?"

Hiro buried his face against Tora's chest, suddenly feeling an overwhelming feeling of dread. For both Gray and Ari . . . And for Tora.

RANDOM AUTHOR RAMBLE

Ummmm . . . Foreshadowing! I haven't decided yet which will be more fun, death, or not for Tig. (or maybe I have . . . Mwahahahaha . . .)

Time skip after this chapter. I don't really wanna got through a boring six or seven months of time during Ari's pregnancy. Boring.


	10. Chapter 10

**Every Time, My Heart Will Reach Yours**

Hiro balanced somewhat precariously on the edge of the sidewalk curb as he walked. It had been eight months since he and Tora had admitted that they somehow had feelings for each other. Six months since Ari had announced she was already a month pregnant.

It had been . . ._ Interesting_. To say the least. He still wasn't really sure what he and Tora were supposed to be doing. It wasn't exactly "dating" as much as it was hugging for comfort and making out every off chance they got. And going shopping for baby supplies with Gray and Ari every weekend. And helping them pick out an apartment. And being their witnesses two weeks ago when they got married in front of a judge. Hiro was still making sure Gray stayed on track at school, telling him he had to graduate in a year. Unless he wanted to end up like Tora, now nineteen and still a Junior in high school. Tora was slightly offended by this remark.

The orange haired boy slipped off the edge of the curb, and a hand wrapped around his wrist, hauling him back up. "Why do you insist on walking like that? You fall every time, idiot."

Hiro turned a grin to Tora, who was walking beside him down the street.

"He . . . I like the danger?"

Tora smiled slightly, "you haven't changed at all, kittypet."

The smaller boy made a face, "yes I have . . . I'm seventeen now, duh."

"I meant your personality," Tora smirked, "skipping off, headlong into danger and stupidness without really thinking about it first."

Hiro ignored him, and began to walk along the edge of the curb again. "Whatever . . . So, where are we meeting the happy couple again?"

"Red Lobster, where else fool," he shook his head, "yuck. I hate fish. Damn Riverclan cats . . ."

Hiro laughed, and headed into the restaurant a few doors down, Tora reluctantly following. "Hey!" Gray waved at them enthusiastically from across the dining room, "hey! Happy couple, get over here!"

"I think he reversed the roles here," Tora muttered, shuffling over to take a seat opposite Ari at the table.

"I think the term is, 'stupid couple', Gray," Ari chuckled, handing Hiro and Tora their menus.

Gray smacked his fisted hand into his other open one in an "ah-ha!" gesture. "Oooh! That's a good one!"

Tora pretended not to hear, staring down at his menu with distaste. Hiro leaned over to him, resting a hand on his shoulder, "look, down here Tora. They have chicken too."

"I don't want chicken," Tora muttered, "I want a huge bloody, half raw steak! But the only ones they have are covered in fish!"

"Just eat something, oh rude one," Hiro hissed.

Across the table, Gray grinned at them, "kitty quarrel," he cooed. "the kitties, they be fighting!"

"If you're going to talk, talk like a normal person please," Tora said dully.

Ari laughed, "I've heard you call them that before, Gray. What's this kitty business all about?"

Gray leaned his head in his hands and pointed across the table at Hiro, "Hiro dreams about his past life or something, and he was a cat in some forest. Apparently, me and Tora were there too. He can see the future by connecting those dreams to now!"

Hiro raised his hands in front of his chest, waving them in a "no no no" gesture. "Whoa, it's not exactly like that! I just-"

"Can you see mine and Gray's future?" Ari interrupted, "was I a cat too?"

The orange haired boy's breath caught in his throat. His throat constricted painfully at the thought of what he had seen about the two of them, by the river nearly a year ago. Suddenly, Tora's hand was in his, holding it tightly beneath the table. "You'll have two beautiful, strong, smart, children," Tora said.

Gray made a face, "jeeze, I could have told you that. Booooorriiiiinnnnggg . . ."

"I like that prediction," Ari said with a smile, her hands on her swollen stomach. Her eyes contorted and her mouth opened slightly in a silent gasp.

Gray whirled on her, noticing immediately the change in her expression, "what's wrong?"

"Oww . . ." she grimaced, "I don't know." She flinched again, "I think I'm starting my contractions . . . But it's still three weeks early-"

"Call 911!" Tora hissed, standing up, "call them right now!"

Hiro's eyes widened, and Ari nodded, "I think the babies are coming,

Gray . . ." She made a pained face again.

Tora's hand was already to his own cell phone, dialing rapidly. "Mitsuki!" He snapped into the receiver, "get an ambulance ready! Get them to this location right away!" He listed off the address, his eyes never straying from where Ari was sitting.

It was only minutes before Hiro could hear the approach of sirens. His eyes went to Tora, full of fear. The older teen was acting strange. It was just the babies coming a little early, right? Everything would be fine . . .

A young female doctor raced into the building. She had dark gray hair that ended just below her shoulders and sky blue eyes. "Right! Let's get you to the ambulance!" She said brightly, leading Ari towards the flashing lights outside. "I'm Cindy, I'll be helping you today, there's nothing to worry about." She turned to Tora and smiled, "Mitsuki's waiting at the hospital for this one."

Tora nodded slowly, watching as Gray trailed after the two girls worriedly. He raised a hand to his forehead, rubbing it fiercely. Hiro followed them outside, dragging Tora with him. They watched, relieved, as the ambulance pulled away silently. No lights or noise. A good sign that they didn't have anything to worry about.

But as the ambulance started to disappear from sight, Hiro's heart lurched as the lights flickered on, and it picked up speed and sound, racing towards the hospital. "Tora-"

The older boy had already grabbed Hiro's hand, running into the parking lot. He skidded to a halt beside a large, black motorcycle. Without hesitation, he tore the keyhole off, twisting the wires inside around until the engine blared into life.

"What are you doing!?!?" Hiro shrieked as Tora swung himself onto the vehicle, pulling Hiro up behind him. "That's stealing!"

"I'll bring it back later!" Tora growled, latching Hiro's arms around his waist forcefully, "if we walk, or wait for a bus, we'll never make it!" He kicked the motorcycle into gear, "you better hang on," he said quietly.

They sped off, Hiro literally clinging to Tora for dear life as they hurtled through traffic. His eyes stung, and his head was starting to pound. Words were starting to ring in his head, words he didn't want to hear. His vision blurred to red, and he closed his eyes, gripping Tora tightly.

_Blood, so much blood. Twin kits born into the world in a river of blood. The cat form of Gray was leaning over the she-cat, Ari. "Silverstream? Silverstream, don't leave me, I need you. Silverstream?" Tears were coursing down his cheeks, "no . . . no. Silverstream!" He reared back onto his hind paws, screaming to the sky, "Silverstream!!!"_

Tora clenched a hand over Hiro's, waking him from the vision, "stay with me, Hiro," he whispered, "we're almost there, hang on."

Hiro sobbed into Tora's back, tightening his hands around the older boy's waist as they skimmed through another red light. His grip had been slipping as he'd witnessed that vision, and he held on even tighter now. _Please, Starclan . . . Don't make Gray go through that again . . ._

RANDOM AUTHOR RAMBLE

. . . . Nothing much to say here. Cindy is Cinderpelt, btw. I'm sorry my brain's so uncreative with her name.

A few posts ago, someone suggested what they thought the characters looked like. And now it's stuck in my head. So here's their anime counterparts with hair and eye color changes.

Hiro - Roxas from Kingdom Hearts. Slightly less spikey hair. Just as short in height, with green eyes and orange hair.

Tora - Tamahome from Fushigi Yugi, with amber eyes and light brown hair that shifts into really dark brown at the ends.

Jay - Near from Death Note, with Gray hair and blue eyes. The hair is just slightly longer too.

Leo - Basically the same as Jay, cept amber eyes and orange hair that's shorter. He's taller too.

Breeze - Yamato (Matt) from Digimon season 1. With black hair and amber eyes.

Mitsuki - Mikuru from The Melancholy Of Haruhi Suzumiya. With white hair flecked with gold and brown and green eyes. She's slightly taller than Mikuru.

Ari - Haruhi from above anime. With silver hair and blue eyes.

Gray - Daisuke (Davis) from Digimon season 2. With gray hair and gold eyes.

Anyone else u want visuals of? Ask. And if u don't know all these characters, photo bucket search the names, and you'll see.


	11. Chapter 11

**Every Time, My Heart Will Reach Yours**

Hiro and Tora raced into the waiting room of the hospital. Tora rushed up to the desk, "what room is Ari Rivers in?" He asked breathlessly.

A doctor with light autumn brown hair walked out from the hall, "Ari? I'm sorry, but we aren't letting anyone in there at the moment."

Tora whirled on him, eyes widening as he grabbed the front of his white lab coat, "don't give me shit, Ritoru!"

The young doctor's eyes widened, then he smirked, "and don't act like you care, Tigerclaw. We're doing the best we can, alright? But you know as well as I do, that there are some things we can't change."

"But Mitsuki lived!" Hiro blurted out, not caring how this doctor remembered the forest, or how Tora remembered him.

"Mitsuki avoided her death because she could _see_," Ritoru stated, "Tora, you should have figured that out. Murder isn't always fate. But . . ."

Tora shook him, "are you saying you're just going to let her die!?!?"

"No! Do you think I want that?! Do you even know how much of a burden being a medicine cat is for those Mitsuki and I? Our connection with Starclan gives us every memory of that place! Do you think I want to see Cindy go through that again?" He looked away, "just . . . We're doing all we can . . ."

Tora released his grip on the doctor, backing up until he sat down in a chair inside the waiting room. "Don't say I don't care . . ." he whispered, "I'm not the same cat I was there . . . The human world is harsher, meaner. It changed me."

Ritoru nodded, "I know." He turned and headed back down the hall, and out of sight.

The dark haired boy sighed, and leaned over towards where Hiro had plopped down beside him. He pressed the palm of his hand to the boy's forehead, "you're running a fever. At least 101." He pulled the other towards him, embracing him tightly.

"What are we going to do?" Hiro whispered against his chest, "that guy . . . He said she's going to die . . ."

"We wait. That's all we can do."

Hiro breathed in deeply, reminding himself that breathing was a necessary part of life. He was still wrapped tightly in Tora's arms, though they had been here for nearly two hours. If it was taking this long, surely everything was okay. Right? He breathed again, listening to the steady beating of Tora's heart against his ear.

"Hiro, Tora," Mitsuki's voice was sharp from above them, and their eyes snapped open simultaneously. "Hurry," she whispered.

Tora rose, pulling Hiro up with him. They followed Mitsuki down the hall into one of the emergency rooms, opening the door slowly. Inside, Ritoru and Cindy stood beside the bed, each holding a crying baby. Gray was kneeled on the floor, his hands clenched in the sheets. Ari lay on the bed, her beautiful blue eyes glazed and unfocused as she looked from one child to the other.

"They're beautiful," she caught sight of Tora and Hiro standing in the doorway, "you were right, Tora." She smiled, "Both of you . . . You'll look after Gray and my babies, wont you?"

"Don't say that!" Gray sobbed, "you're going to be okay! You're going to help me raise them!"

"We will," Tora whispered.

Ari's hand rose up to Gray's cheek, "I'm sorry . . . I kept hoping I wouldn't have to do this to you . . ."

"Ari-"

"I remembered . . . Gray. I always did. But I'd rather have loved you . . . Than to have never met you. Even if it cost me my life. I knew . . . And I still jumped into the river that day." She smiled gently, watching Gray's tears cascade down her hand, "please, don't cry. I'll always be with you . . . No matter what happens. You still have so much life left to live. So live it for both of us . . ."

She turned towards the two crying children, "I'm sorry . . . Arashi, Kohone. You'll never remember me. And I wish I could be there to see you grow . . ." Her eyes slipped closed.

Gray's fingers clenched in the sheets, "no! Ari! This wasn't supposed to happen! Ari, wake up! ARIIIIII!!!!"

Tora turned and pulled Hiro to him, muffling the smaller boy's sobs against his chest. "Hiro . . . I'm sorry. We all thought . . ." He swallowed, "we all thought it might change . . ."

There was silence in the room, Hiro's sobs cut off by Tora's embrace. The only sound was Gray's scream, mingled with the cries of the two twins.

RANDOM AUTHOR RAMBLE

. . . . I cried. I cried while writing this. That's why it's such a short chapter. Ritoru is Littlecloud btw. Ritoru means "Little"

Arashi is Stormfur. Arashi means "storm"

Kohone is Feathertail. Kohone means "small feathers"

Except for Cinderpelt, all medicine cats retain their memories of the forest. Most of them work at the hospital, Jay might work there when he's older.


	12. Chapter 12

**Every Time, My Heart Will Reach Yours**

Please Read- *cough* I'd like to remind everyone that this fic is rated M for a reason. This is the chapter I've been looking forward to, and dreading at the same time. If you have never read a sex scene before, I _don't_ encourage you to skip the chapter. It is crucial to Tora and Hiro's relationship. And if you are new to smut, this might be a good place to start. I'm not as . . . Crude, let's say, as some smut writers. I read smut when I was thirteen (perv) so you're cool. Just don't let your parents sneak up behind you and read over your shoulder. That's bad. (knows from experience) read on now.

Tora leaned against the wooden frame of his front door, "thanks Mitsuki. I just don't think I could deal with Raven tonight after . . ." He shook his head. "Is Gray staying at the hospital?"

Mitsuki nodded, cradling the snoozing Raven in her arms, "yeah . . . I think I'll have him stay with me after that. He still has to go to school, and the babies need someone to look after them during that time." She smiled sadly, "for him . . . Life will always be hard . . . Wont it." She shifted Raven in her arms, "but we're all doing our best. He'll be okay . . ."

The dark haired teen bowed his head, "yeah. Well . . . Goodnight then." He waved Mitsuki off, watching as she carried Raven off to her house down the street, before silently closing the door. Leaning against the back of the wood, he sighed deeply, before heading up the stairs to his room. Slowly, soundlessly, he slipped inside the room, taking in the sight of the orange haired teen collapsed face down across his bed.

Hiro looked up as Tora clicked the door shut, but stayed where he was. He didn't want to move, didn't want to breath. He pushed his face back into the pillow as Tora sat down on the edge of the bed.

Tora ran his hand through the redhead's hair in a gentle, soothing motion. "Hiro . . . You're blaming yourself, aren't you." Hiro said nothing. "You heard what she said, back at the hospital. She said, even if she died, she wanted to fall in love with Gray. She _knew_ about the forest, Hiro. She said she did. Her fate wasn't for us to change."

The smaller boy remained silent. He'd used up all of his tears hours ago, and didn't even feel like trying to cry again. He turned his head slightly, meeting amber eyes with a sideways glance. "I'm scared . . . Tora," he whispered. "For all we know . . . The same thing could happen to us, any day." Tora's hand had fallen to his back, caressing the tense muscles between his shoulders. "What if you . . . What am I supposed to do if you leave me, Tora?"

"I wont," Tora murmured, leaning down until his mouth was a hair's breadth from Hiro's ear. "As long as you stay with me, I'll do my very best to keep on living. No matter what happens."

Hiro rolled over, sitting up slightly, leaning on his elbows until he caught Tora's lips with his own. "I just don't . . . Ever want to hear, or see anything like that again." Gray's anguished scream still echoed harshly in his ears. He sat up farther, wrapping his arms around Tora's waist and leaning his head against the taller boy's shoulder. "I can still hear him . . . Both in this world . . . And the other. I can hear him screaming . . ."

Tora leaned down and brought Hiro's face up to his, "I'm sorry Hiro," he whispered, kissing him gently, "I don't know what to do for you. I don't know . . . How to make your heart stop hurting . . ."

The redhead sat up straighter, straddling himself across Tora's lap. He stood up onto his knees, and kissed the bridge of the older boy's nose, trailing his lips across the white scar. "Tigerclaw . . ." he murmured, speaking the name Ritoru had called him. "My heart isn't hurting for Gray anymore . . . As much as it is myself." He slid the kiss down to Tora's jaw line, "I'm so scared . . . So scared that you're going to leave me. I'm scared that if I sleep, I'll only see your blood."

The older boy trailed his hands up from where they'd been on Hiro's legs, to the other's waist. He slid them under the smaller boy's shirt, pushing the cloth up and over Hiro's head. Hiro wrapped his arms around Tora's shoulders, the taller boy dipping down to trail light kisses across his collarbone, moving slowly, carefully, down his chest. He paused, hesitating as he reached a pink nipple, before giving it an experimental lick, and a soft bite.

Hiro hissed in surprise at this, and leaned his head against Tora's shoulder, his back arching against the other's touch. Satisfied with the reaction, Tora did the same to the opposite nipple, smirking slightly as Hiro squirmed under his touch. He sat up fully again, taking Hiro's mouth with his own. "Fireheart . . . I know . . . That I can never guarantee that I wont leave you, but I . . ." He kissed him again, dipping his tongue inside Hiro's mouth. "I don't know . . . What else I can do. I can't give you anything more . . . Except tell you that I . . . Love you." He paused, hesitating as he listened to Hiro's sharp intake of breath. "You're my fire, Hiro. You keep me going. And I would give you everything, even my life."

The smaller boy's eyes glazed over, "I love you too," he laughed weakly, "I bet Starclan's really pleased with that. They're probably going to smite us any second now." He trailed light fingers across the cloth of Tora's shirt, following the creases down to the bottom, before slipping a hand underneath and pulling it off. Leaning forward, he kissed the older boy, letting their tongues touch, pressing their bare chests together.

After a few moments Tora pulled back slightly, raising a hand to Hiro's mouth for silence. "Wait. If we keep going . . ." He hesitated, feeling an uncharacteristic blush spread across his face. "We're . . . not cat's anymore, Hiro. We could . . ." His eyes widened, and he smiled slightly, "it will . . . Bind us together . . . Our bond. Something more powerful than death." His eyes met Hiro's, "is . . . That okay?"

Hiro nodded, "if it's with you . . . It's okay."

Tora smiled, pushing Hiro backwards onto the bed. He skimmed his fingers across the other boy's chest, stopping at the bottom of his stomach. "It's ironic," he whispered, "that in the wake of a breaking bond, we're forging a new one." He leaned down, supporting himself on his hands and knees, and undid the button of Hiro's jeans. "I want you to be mine, Hiro," He murmured, sliding the zipper down and slipping the smaller boy's pants off. "I want you to be mine, and mine alone. Forever."

The redhead lay back, watching with glazed eyes as Tora removed his own pants, and discarded everything over the edge of the bed. "Yours alone," he promised, gasping as Tora trailed his mouth down his stomach, caressing the side of his manhood with small kisses. Hiro reached up with one arm towards Tora's bedside dresser, pulling open the top drawer.

"Near the back," Tora said without looking up, grazing his tongue along the head of Hiro's cock experimentally. He held out a hand, and was rewarded with a small container pressed against his palm as Hiro moaned under his touch. Diverting his attention from the other boy for a moment, he sat up and opened the container, scooping up some of the slick substance onto his first three fingers.

Hiro lay his head back onto the pillow, his eyes widening as he saw Tora drag his fingers through the lubricant again. Tora leaned over him again, kissing him fiercely, distractingly, as he trailed the slicked fingers down to gently touch Hiro's entrance. The smaller boy's back arched as Tora slid the first finger inside of him, and he hissed in surprise, jerking away from the other's kiss.

Tora took his free hand and pushed Hiro back onto the bed, "calm. Don't tense up," he urged quietly, leaning down to kiss him reassuringly. "And remember to breath," he added with a smirk, kissing Hiro again.

The younger boy sucked in a deep breath of air as Tora began to stretch him. In the back of his mind, he wondered if he would have agreed to this if he'd know it would hurt. But he knew he would have. He needed this, longed for it with every aching breath since they'd met. He shuddered as Tora slid a second finger in beside the other, surprised at how the pain was slowly ebbing away. Wait, that was the purpose, wasn't it. He laid back against the pillow again, regaining his normal breathing as Tora followed up with a third finger. It was a strange feeling. A feeling of nerves coming alive where they'd never been needed before. He wondered how it would feel if they reached back farther, and he unconsciously gripped the sheets and slid himself down a little farther onto Tora's fingers.

The older boy pushed him back up, pulling his fingers out in the same motion. "Wait. We have to go slowly, or I might hurt you," he smirked, "although that was amusing, and a turn on." He grinned as Hiro blushed a dark scarlet.

Hiro turned his head, looking away from that amber eyed gaze. "How . . . How do you want to do this?"

"You want me to grab my Kamasutra?" Tora suggested sarcastically.

"Pervert," Hiro said, slightly shocked, "you have one of those?!?!"

"No," Tora said, retuning to a normal tone. He pushed gently at Hiro's side, rolling him over onto his stomach. "Like this," he whispered, "it's easier on your body." He smiled as Hiro gave him a quizzical look over his shoulder. "Oh yeah, and my body's going nuts seeing you in that position."

The younger boy sat up, levering himself up onto his hands and knees, "like this?"

"Yeah," Tora purred. He slid his hands along the other's back, dropping them down to curl tightly around his chest. He kissed the back of Hiro's neck, sucking the skin until it was pink and swollen.

Hiro shivered as he felt something other than the gentle fingers of before press against his entrance. His hands wadded up the sheets, and he dropped down to his elbows with a pained gasp as Tora slid inside.

Tora waited, restraining the instincts threatening to overwhelm him as he listened to Hiro try and regain his breath. "Are you all right?" He whispered, kissing the side of the other boy's face, urging him to look up.

The orange haired boy blinked open tear filled eyes, glancing over his shoulder briefly at Tora. "Fine," he said, loosening his grip on the sheets, noticing the redness of his knuckles from the force he'd been using. "Move," he whispered, feeling Tora shudder with restraint against his back. "Don't hold back," he murmured, "this is what I want."

Tora breathed in, burying his face between Hiro's shoulder blades. _"Don't hold back_." He hesitated on whether that was really wise, but knew that once he started, he wouldn't be able to. He pulled out, letting basic instinct take over, realizing that it was the instinct of two different species that flooded his mind as he slammed back into Hiro. He shivered in delight as he heard Hiro gasp, and repeated the movement.

The older boy shifted slightly, searching for the position he wanted, before thrusting himself inside again. Hiro's body shuddered beneath him, the redhead letting out a surprised, and pleasured gasp as Tora connected with something deep inside him. The smaller boy knelt down lower from the feeling, and Tora undid his hands from his chest, lowering them down to twine his fingers against the backs of Hiro's hands. He pushed in again, keeping a hold on that same position.

Hiro gasped as Tora bit down on the back of his neck, and undid his hands from the sheets so the other's fingers fit in between his. He pressed his forehead against the pillow as Tora pounded into him again, feeling his heart and breath speed up with every movement. He hadn't expected it to feel like this. To feel this . . . _Amazing_. It was as though he and Tora fit perfectly together, like they were somehow_ made_ for this. Made solely for each other.

Tora moaned as Hiro clenched around him, and one of his hands trailed up to Hiro's manhood. He caressed him, rubbing his thumb along the head, pulling him through to release as Hiro's insides squeezed harshly around him. Tora bit at that same spot on Hiro's neck again, pushing himself in deeper once more before climaxing.

The redhead stopped breathing as he felt Tora empty himself inside of him, falling down onto his stomach. He took a breath as Tora began to ride it out, the feeling intensified. It truly was a bond, a deep, and indescribable bond shared between only the two of them.

Tora remembered as well that breathing was a good thing, and slowly pulled out. He rolled over and pulled Hiro tightly against his chest. He ran a hand through the other's hair, listening to Hiro's tired breathing. "Sleep," he urged, pulling up the blankets from the edge of the bed.

"I'm scared to," Hiro whispered quietly.

"I'm right here," Tora said, "Unless Starclan smites me with lightning, I'll still be here in the morning. And every morning after," he added.

Hiro's eyes slipped closed, his arms wrapping around Tora's back. "Don't even get up to go to the bathroom," he warned teasingly.

Tora laughed lightly, "all right."

RANDOM AUTHOR RAMBLE

Yyyyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyy! I wrote it! Woot! I hope I didn't scar you for life. Or if I did, I hope it's the perverted scar, and you have to go and read more smut right now! Ahahahahaha! (just kidding . . . Not.)

This was probably one of the most difficult scenes I've ever written actually. Mostly because I was trying to convey the fact that they (especially Tora) still have a lot of cat in them. The position Tora insisted on, as well as the way he bit at Hiro's neck hopefully showed this. (go read a cat book if you don't get it.) it was hard, because of these animalistic instincts, the sex itself was a lot rougher and more complicated than what I've written before. I've actually never written that position before. (lol)

The Kamasutra is the Japanese book of sex positions. I think there's 62 different ones. Bet that hurts your brain. *thumbs up* now go read some Yaoi kiddies! Filll your brain with porn!

While I go sulk and curse the fates that we only have one dvd player and the one on the computer doesn't work. I wanna watch Full Metal Alchemist!!!! Waaaaahhhh!!! Roy my luuuvvv! Ed!!! Smmuuuuuuuttt! *skips off to find Doujinshi* I should find a fanfic for those two . . . Hmmmmmm . . . .


	13. Chapter 13

**Every Time, My Heart Will Reach Yours**

Ash hoisted his bags of groceries a little higher in his arms as he walked. With his other hand, he pulled out his cell phone, staring bleakly down at the text he'd received while he was in the store. It was only two words.

_Ari died._

He buried the cell in his pocket again and continued down the street. Hiro had sent him the text, and he had thought something like this might happen. He'd heard Hiro talk about his dreams before, and the way he acted when Ari was around . . . The fear he felt for both her and Gray had always shown in his eyes. Ash sighed, deciding not to reply to the text until tomorrow, or later if he could help it.

Turning the corner, he came into a small alleyway. It was the quickest way to his apartment, to take the alley, and turn down another one farther down. He walked along, staying close to the right wall to avoid the trashcans piled around on the other side. He was about to shift the groceries in his arms again, when he heard the sound of voices.

"And you're sure you've seen the targets there. Both of them?" A deep male voice asked.

"Affirmative. Both the Fire and the Tiger targets are in the school," a female voice confirmed.

Ash pressed his back against the wall, holding his breath as he strained his ears to listen.

"You've done well, Scourge was right to recruit someone like you into Chi," the male voice chuckled darkly.

Ash's sucked in a sharp, silent breath of air. _Chi_. It wasn't a name someone heard often around here, but he knew it well enough. The biggest gang in the city fifty miles north. He flinched, hearing a slight clank of metal above him. Slowly, he raised his eyes up, noticing the fire escape attached to the building he was leaning against. A boy a year or so younger than him, with dark, spiky black hair, was leaning over the metal railing, leaning towards the place where the people were talking.

The boy's amber eyes, shifted downwards, widening as he caught sight of Ash. The gray haired boy gasped in surprise as the other leapt off the edge of the fire escape, landing beside him. The younger boy looped an arm around Ash's waist, raising the other hand over his open mouth.

"I expect more news from you in two weeks time," the male voice said warningly, "we need the blueprints to the school if we're to eliminate the targets."

"I'll have them by then," the female muttered. "They've been harder to locate than I expected." There was a metallic clicking sound, and a light laugh. "Now, want me to take care of the intruders? They've heard enough."

The dark haired boy hissed in surprise and annoyance, loosening his grip on Ash, and knocking the groceries form his arms. "Run!" He mouthed, grabbing his hand.

A bang echoed down the thin alleyway, and a brick of the wall to their left exploded under the bullet. "Idiot! Run!" The boy tugged at Ash's hand, and the two took off down the alley.

Another bullet ricochet off of the ground in front of them, and Ash stumbled backwards in shock. The younger boy pulled desperately at him again, and his body jerked as a third bullet hit his shoulder.

Ash's eyes widened, and it suddenly became his turn to take the lead, as the other boy nearly fell to his knees. "To the right, the right," the dark haired boy directed, using the hand the shoulder was connected to too quell the bleeding as they ran. "Now left," he ordered, Ash pulling him along down another narrow alleyway.

They skidded to a halt, and the younger boy raised a leg, kicking a wooden door on the wall in. with his good arm, he shoved Ash inside, pushing him through the old storage room, and out another door.

"We have to stop," Ash said, after another dodge down an abandoned alley. 'You're bleeding!"

The younger boy shook his head fiercely. "They're Chi! They'll catch up eventually." He dug around in his pocket, pulling out a cell phone. "First number. Ask for Leo or Jay. Tell them . . ." He pushed the cell into Ash's hand. "To come get us . . ." He clenched the hand over the blood oozing from his shoulder, flinching with pain.

"Phone," Jay muttered, a split second before it rang.

Leo stood up from where he was laying across his brother's lap, narrowing his eyes in annoyance. "You always know when it's going to ring, don't you."

"It makes a little noise just before the first ring," Jay said, leaning back and staring sightlessly up at the ceiling. "Now get the phone."

The redhead stalked over to the item, glancing at the caller id, and picked it up. "Hello?"

"Uh . . . Is this Leo . . . Or Jay?"

Leo narrowed his eyes again, shooting another swift glance at the id screen, "this is Leo. Who is this? You're calling from Breeze's cell phone."

"Breeze? Oh, that's-" the speaker stopped for a moment, "look, something happened, I'm with Breeze. He's hurt. Some guys from Chi . . . Can you just come get us? I can't explain."

Before Leo could answer, there was a rustling on the other end of the phone. "Leo, get your ass over here before I bleed to death," Breeze's voice hissed.

Jay sat on the edge of the couch, clenching his hands together. His brother had just left, saying something was wrong, nearly half an hour ago. He sighed, leaning his head against his joined hands, listening fervently for his brother's return.

The door clicked, and Jay stood up, his hand on the couch behind him for support. The door swung open, and three sets of footsteps entered, as well as the smell

of . . .

"Someone's bleeding!" Jay gasped, rushing forwards. A hand reached out, catching his, and his eyes widened as he recognized the touch. "Breeze . . . What's going on?"

"Tell you later. Get this stupid bullet out of me."

Leo led their guests, Ash and Breeze, down the hall to his and Jay's bedroom. While Jay dug under the sink for the large metal first aid kit.

Breeze looked up from where Leo had seated him on the bed as Jay came into the room, carrying the kit, and an armful of gauze bandages. He and Leo set out the kit between them, and Leo began to immediately apply disinfectant to Ash's cuts and scrapes on the other side of the bed.

"I didn't even realize I was hurt," Ash whispered, "all these cuts . . . They must be from when they hit the wall's near us. And shards of brick cut us."

Jay pulled the kit over to his side a bit more, levering himself up onto the bed. He pushed Breeze back farther, and kneeled across the taller boy's lap. Slowly, gently, he slid the other boy's shirt off, skimming his fingers up his side and onto his shoulder as he did so. He paused, feeling the edges of the hole the bullet had left. The gray haired boy reached over, fishing around in the first aid box, and pulled out a pair of tweezers. "This is going to hurt," he said quietly.

"Just get it over with," Breeze whispered. Jay returned to his position over the wound, feeling along the edges, estimating from the way the skin was bent where the bullet was. He pushed the tweezers into the hole, and Breeze hissed in pain, dropping his head down to Jay's shoulder.

Jay curled his arm around Breeze's neck, holding him there as he probed the inside of the shoulder for the bullet. His fingers twitched as he felt the tweezers scrape against something._ Found it_. He grasped hold of the metal, and tugged it out in one swift motion.

"Oww . . ." Breeze whined, raising his head from his companions shoulder.

"Shut up, if you wanted it not to hurt, call a hospital," Jay muttered, dropping the bullet into a Ziploc bag.

"Why?" Breeze laughed weakly, "I have my own personal little hospital right here?"

Jay swiped a cotton ball laden with rubbing alcohol across the wound, listening with satisfaction as Breeze inhaled a sharp breath. "Tell us what happened."

Ash was the first to speak up, "I'm Ash, first off. I'm sorry to intrude." He swallowed, "I was on my way home from getting groceries, when I heard people talking in the alleyway. A girl, and a guy. They were saying that they had located targets . . ."

"Fire and Tiger," Breeze picked up, "and that they needed blueprints to the school." He winced as Jay made the first stitch across his shoulder. "But the only school around here is Raikou."

"Hey, yeah," Ash said, confused, "what would Chi want with Raikou?"

"Chi?" Leo looked up from where he was slapping a bandage across Ash's arm. "As in the _gang_?"

"Tiger . . ." Breeze whispered, "that's the code name they used for Toratsume."

He closed his eyes, noticing immediately the questioning stares he got from everyone but Jay. "I was . . . I was in Chi, until a year ago."

Leo's eyes widened, "what? Jay, did you know about this?"

" I did," Jay replied, making the last stitch on Breeze's arm. "I don't really care either."

Suddenly, they heard the front door swing open, "boys! I'm hooooome! I brought ice-cream!"

Ash's eyes widened, and he turned to grasp the back of Breeze's shirt as footsteps made their way down the hall. Breeze grasped his hand, standing up so swiftly Jay was almost knocked onto the floor. He pushed open the window above the bed, and the two were out it just as the bedroom door opened.

Jay, having quick reflexes, and sensing the alarm in both boys, whipped the first aid supplies under his sheets, just a split second before his sister walked into the room. "Oh, ice-cream?" He said casually, "We'll be out in a minute."

Holly raised an eyebrow, but said nothing, heading back out the door.

Leo sighed, and leaned out the window, "What the hell guys? My sister wouldn't have cared if you were here."

Breeze hauled himself back into the room, pulling Ash up behind him with his good arm. "Yes she would have," Ash whispered. "I'm sure of it, she's . . ."

"The voice we heard in the alleyway," Breeze finished. "She's the one that shot me."

RANDOM AUTHOR RAMBLE

Arrrrrgggghhhhh . . . I'm so busy! I just finished the last chapter of Taste of Pain. So now this is the only Warriors story I'm working on. This is the only chapter without Tora and Hiro in it! Waaahhh?

I'm working on a mass Warriors slash video right now. Like Honeypaw's top ten countdown, if you remember that before it was deleted. But mine's top 15. And it keeps dieing on me. XP


	14. Chapter 14

**Every Time, My Heart Will Reach Yours**

Two and a half years ago

_Breeze shifted his weight from foot to foot as he waited. Footsteps sounded behind him, and he instinctively clicked the safety off of the hand gun he had tilted in his right hand as he turned._

"_Put that down before you hurt yourself, idiot," a tall boy with brown hair of shifting shades stepped out of the shadows. He reached out a hand and ruffled the younger boy's hair affectionately. _

"_I'm not going to hurt myself, Tora," Breeze grinned, pushing the hand away. "Scourge didn't call me Wind for nothing. I'm the best sharpshooter in Chi."_

"_And where do you shoot at?" Tora asked quietly._

"_Legs, arms, anything that's not vital," He made a mock bow to the older teen, "I really only follow you, Tiger."_

_Tora smirked, pleased at the response, "so, I'm guessing you already took out the guards on the place, right?"_

_Breeze saluted sarcastically, "duh! Umi guards are easy! All fat and slow from all that fish they eat." He cocked the gun again, raising it up and leaning it against his shoulder, "not like us."_

_The older boy smirked, and walked over to the corner of the wall they stood beside. "So, we just gotta go in there and spring Red, huh?" He leaned his elbow against the top of Breeze's head, "there'll be guys inside too. You ready?"_

_Breeze shifted the black handgun in his grip again, "yeah. I got you covered Tora."_

_In his head, Tora slowly counted to ten, drawing in a deep breath and relaxing his body. Ten. He dropped down, his left hand touching the ground briefly, before he bolted forward. He jumped into the air a few feet from the door, turning and landing a hefty kick against the steel frame._

_There was a thundering crash as the door burst inwards, followed by a short series of bangs as Breeze took out the guards inside the entryway. Tora dropped to the ground again, listening with half closed eyes to the sound of Breeze's gun, waiting for the slight gap._

_A spilt second of silence, and Tora kicked into gear again, launching himself into the opening, and darting inside. Nearly on all fours, low to the ground to avoid the nonexistent stray shot, he jumped up, landing a punch against the jaw of one of Umi's men inside the hall. He fell back to the ground, shifting his weight and throwing out his left leg to knock another off of his feet. In the same motion, he leapt up again, elbowing a third man in the face._

_As his victims dropped unconscious to the ground, Breeze trotted up behind him. "All clear, Boss-man."_

_Tora smirked, and they began walking down the main hall of the hideout. "Final door to the left," Breeze reminded him as they neared the end of the hall. "That's what Broken said." As Tora approached the door, Breeze leaned back against the wall, out of sight from whoever might be inside once they opened it. He clicked the gun, giving Tora a swift nod._

_The taller boy pushed open the door, darting to the side and letting Breeze into the opening. Breeze cocked the gun, pointing it before he even looked, his eyes narrowed. And then he did look, eyes widening, his gun hand falling to his side._

"_What, is there no one there?" Tora turned the corner, and his eyes fell upon the sight Breeze was staring at, mouth open in horror._

_A man in his early twenties was tied to a metal chair in the center of the room. His body was covered in burns and knife wounds, and one of his eyes was covered by a tattered, blood soaked cloth. He looked up weakly at Tora as he entered. "You came too late," He whispered. 'Scourge always waits until it's too late, doesn't he."_

"_Red," Tora said in shock._

_The man shook his head, his blood soaked black hair falling over his eyes. "You have a gun, right?" He glanced at the one Breeze held at his side. "Kill me."_

_Breeze dropped to his knees, his whole body shaking. Tora glanced from the younger boy, to Red. "What?"_

"_I'm going to die anyways, whether you leave me here, or take me back. If I go back, Scourge will pin me down and gut me. You know he will, Tiger."_

_Breeze raised horrified amber eyes to Tora, but the older boy merely looked away. _

"_Kill me now. It'll hurt a lot less than Scourge's knife," Red pleaded._

_Tora knelt down, wrapping an arm around Breeze's back, and holding the younger boy's head against his chest. With the other hand, he took to gun from Breeze, and pointed it at Red._

"_Thank you, Tora," Red said with a weak smile, just before the gun fired._

Tora's eyes flared open, his heart pounding in his chest, his breath coming in rapid gasps. His eyes shifted down to where Hiro was curled tightly at his side, and forced himself to regain his breathing. He sat up in the bed, getting up and throwing the blankets back over Hiro's sleeping form before leaving the room.

He pushed open the nearest door in the hallway, walking into the bathroom. He flicked on the sink, watching the water run down the drain for a few moments before he reached down and splashed some on his face.

Leaning his body against the sink, he stared at his reflection in the mirror. His eyes unconsciously traced the scar across the bridge of his nose. He sighed, and dropped his head, watching the water pouring into the sink again.

Red.

The water was red, a dark, thick, red. Like blood. Tora closed his eyes, forcing himself to look away from the delusion. He blinked them back open, realizing with horror that the red was inside his eyes as well.

A sharp pain laced through his head, and his legs buckled beneath him. He kneeled on the floor, pressing his hands against the cold bathroom tiles as his vision swam with red.

_Fire. Dogs. A clearing between four large oaks, the ground below crowded with cats. He caught sight of Fireheart, flinching away from the hate filled gaze. And then, he was yelling, yelling orders to attack. But no one moved. No one but one but one cat. A small, black furred cat with a collar studded with dogs teeth. He moved so fast, Tora didn't react at all._

_Reinforced claws tore down his chest and stomach, blood splattering the ground as he fell. He lay there, watching as his own blood poured out of him, gasping in pain as he died, nine times in a row. His amber eyes scanned the cats watching him, meeting emerald green._

_Fireheart stared down at him, his eyes shifting with thousands of different emotions at once as he watched his enemy die. And finally, they were filled with regret, and held back tears._

Tora's body shook and convulsed as his eyesight returned to normal. He Pressed his forehead against the tiles of the floor, gasping for air. "I promised . . ." He whispered, fiercely, "I promised him!" He slammed his fist against the tiles, "damnit Starclan! Don't let that promise be for nothing!"

"I wont die!"

RANDOM AUTHOR RAMBLE

Flashbacks and foreshadowing all in one chapter. *Thumbs up* yay. I seriously found the perfect TigerFire theme song tebayo. *grins* "My Life Would Suck Without You" by Kelly Clarkson. Go see my little animation/vid for it on my youtube profile. I go by Kyukunskitty there. Look it up. And vote for your favorite warriors slash pairing.


	15. Chapter 15

**Every Time, My Heart Will Reach Yours**

Warning- blah blah blah, sex. Blah blah, keep reading. Blah blah blah, porn's good for you kiddies.

Hiro leaned over the wooden railing that encircled the crib. "Waaaaahhh! They're so cute!" He glanced over his shoulder at Gray, "how'd you make such cute babies, when you're so ugly?"

"Hey," the taller boy pouted, "that's not very nice. Arashi looks just like I did when I was little."

"Hopefully he'll turn out better," Tora said as he strode into the room. He poked Gray in the back of the head. "Don't you have somewhere to be? Like . . . Oh I don't know . . . Your job?"

"Right!" Gray scooped up a lunch bag from the ground, dashing out of the room. "Provide for the family and all that. Yada yada."

Hiro looked down into the crib again, listening with half lidded eyes as Gray dashed around the house to find his work cloths. He gazed down at the twins, noticing how already, Arashi looked just like his father, dark gray hair and golden eyes. And Kohone was identical to Ari, with silver hair and blue eyes.

"Thanks for babysitting guys," Gray said, pulling on a grocery store apron as he reentered the room. "The formula's in the cabinet, please read the directions before you make it. And the diapers are in the bathroom under the sink." He made a swift thumbs up sign. "Oh, one more thing," he smirked slightly, "Hiro, you should renew your glow, nah?"

"Ummm . . ." Hiro stared at his best friend blankly.

"You know," Gray made a curvy motion with his hands from his head down to his waist, apparently symbolizing a "glow". "That glow you had when you came over the day after the twins were born." He winked, "the after-sex-glow."

Hiro made a very rude gesture with his hand, glaring at Tora as the older boy snorted with laughter. "Get to work," he growled. Gray chuckled and darted out of the room.

Tora waited until he heard the front door click shut before he spoke, "that's the first time . . ."

"Tora," Hiro growled warningly.

"The first time he's smiled since they were born," Tora finished, ignoring Hiro. "The first time he's joked again." He smiled slightly, "I thought for sure this would break him."

"It took a month, but he pulled through," Hiro said quietly. "He has two kids to look after now. And I get the feeling he considers us his "kids" too."

"Or his toys," Tora suggested, "to mess around with and embarrass anytime he finds the time."

Hiro laughed, "that works too." He shifted slightly as Kohone began to whimper, and scooped her up out of the crib. "Or turn into his babysitters and slaves," he added, rocking the child gently. "I don't know how to take care of a baby!"

"Hush," Tora muttered, picking up Arashi, who was beginning to copy his sister. "I'll show you, moron. At least you know how to hold a baby," he remarked, glancing at Hiro's grip on Kohone.

"I held Cloud when he was little," Hiro grumbled.

"And I've been Ravens only family since he was born. Now march oh experienced one," Tora used his free hand to shoo Hiro out of the room, following close behind. "I can tell already what the problem is."

"I can too!" Hiro retorted. He made a face, "we have to change them."

"At least your nose works."

After a couple mishaps in diaper changing, a slight explosion of formula in the microwave, feeding both babies, and a burping session, Hiro was standing in the living room looking very flustered. His shirt was covered in something white and smelly, courtesy of Arashi, and his hair was a mess, courtesy of Kohone pulling on it.

"I don't think I like babies," he muttered, tearing off the shirt and tossing it on the floor.

Tora emerged form the children's bedroom, looking the same as he had an hour and a half ago. "Oh? So you don't want kids then?" He asked casually, picking up the discarded shirt and heading towards the laundry room.

"I didn't say that . . . Hey!" Hiro blushed, "stop being weird and suggestive, you perv!"

"I wasn't," Tora called from the laundry room. "I just asked if you want kids."

"Not your kids," Hiro hissed, "I can't have kids you psycho. It's embarrassing enough to be the catcher."

Tora smirked, walking back into the room with his hands behind his head. "Oh? You can top, if you'd like. I don't really care."

Hiro blushed, "n-no way!"

"Okay," Tora grinned. "So then, as of Gray's request, which spot in his house should we make very unsanitary?"

"I think he meant we should do that sometime in the future," Hiro squeaked.

"Near future, as of an hour and a half ago. It's the future right now," the older boy laughed lightly as Hiro grabbed the arm of the couch behind him for support. "We

could . . . Do it on the floor, or in the shower, or on the table." Tora smirked as Hiro made a funny little noise in his throat and collapsed onto the couch. "Or on the couch is fine."

"This is Mitsuki's house too," Hiro squeaked as Tora approached the couch.

"Yeah, so?" Tora grinned, "hundred bucks says she'd beg to watch if she was home." He leaned over Hiro, running a finger along the underside of his chin, "and she'll probably take the couch to a cult of Yaoi fan girls when we're done with it."

Hiro made another weird noise in his throat as Tora bent down to kiss him, the noise turning into a slight moan. "On a scale of one to five on the evil chart," he breathed, "your at the top. Eeeevvviiillll . . ." he drew out the word as Tora settled himself on the couch beside him.

"Of course I am," Tora smirked, "evil is the new fun."

"I'm getting bored," Hiro said sarcastically, "are we gonna ruin Gray's couch or what?"

"You don't like foreplay?" Tora asked, making a motion for Hiro to strip. "You liked it last time."

"I didn't have the threat of being in someone else's house hanging over my head," Hiro said, pulling off his pants. "And it's been almost a month. I want it. And school starts in two days."

"That's just an opportunity to ruin Mahsiro's desk," Tora said lightly, leaning over his lover. "Just say that nice five letter word, not some excuses."

Hiro stared up at him blankly for a moment, playing crossword in his head, "uhhhh . . . Horny?"

"Ding ding, we have a winner," Tora mocked, bending down to kiss Hiro deeply.

The redhead leaned back against the couch cushions, holding his breath as Tora trailed a hand up his thigh and pressed at his entrance. "Tora . . ." he whispered, wincing as the first finger entered him. "Something's . . . different in your eyes."

"What do you mean?" the older boy asked, inserting a second finger, continuing with his motions.

"Ever since the morning after the last time we did this . . ." Hiro raised his eyes to meet Tora's, "your eyes . . . Are dark. Like you're keeping all these emotions inside you."

Emotions like regret, Tora thought. And sadness. Fear, longing for more time, pain for what I can't tell you. "I'm fine," the older boy said, leaning over Hiro. He took the smaller boys lips with his own, more fiercely than he had before. More desperately. Desperate for touch, for some kind of grounding force in the center of a fate he might be unable to change.

Hiro hooked his arms underneath Tora's curling his legs across the older boy's back as Tora slid inside. He gasped as the dark haired teen immediately pulled out, grinding into him again. There was definitely something different, something hidden beneath the amber of those eyes. Something desperate in the way Tora held him as they rocked in their movements.

"Don't let go," Hiro whispered, his breath catching in his throat as Tora thrust inside him again.

Tora curled a hand up into Hiro's fiery orange hair, keeping the other encircled around his back, pulling him closer. I can't let go. I can't leave him, even if I die . . . I can't . . . I can't die and leave him again!

Hiro's back arched as Tora hit that special spot deep within him, and his hands tore down the older boy's back as Tora dove in to hit that spot again. He closed his eyes, listening to his own heart pounding in perfect rhythm with Tora's. One heart . . . And one body . . .

Tora pressed Hiro into the couch with a gasp, Hiro's insides clenching around him. The redhead forced himself back up, pressing his lips to Tora's as he came, binding them together. Tora managed to win a quick battle of tongues and buried himself into Hiro again, releasing himself into the smaller boy.

The older teen pulled out, leaning heavily against Hiro as he lay down beside him on the couch. "I'm sorry," he whispered.

"For what?" Hiro asked sleepily, laying his head on Tora's chest.

"Nothing," Tora murmured.

^-^ ^-^ ^-^

"Hey, the glow is back!" Gray said cheerfully as he stepped into the kitchen that night. "Wait . . ." he pointed to the table, "you're buying that if you did it there."

"We didn't," Hiro smiled.

"On my bed? That's gross. On Mitsuki's bed? Nasty."

"No, and no," Hiro chimed, I'm not telling you where."

"Great," Gray muttered, "I could be eating somewhere and suddenly realize you guys got hot and sweaty there. Bleh."

Tora smirked over the top of his cell phone. He was staring down at a list of numbers, and one number in particular. Only Breeze would know anything about Scourge's whereabouts. he was still the sharpest pair of eyes and ears anywhere around, and if Chi was near, Breeze would know.

RANDOM AUTHOR RAMBLE

This chapter was mainly to show Tora's conflicting feelings about what he saw last chapter, as well as lead up to Tora and Breeze's official reunion. Understand the fact that they do know they both go to the same school, and they see each other there, but never talk or anything. It's like a matter of survival. If two gang runaways associate, they're more noticeable.


	16. Chapter 16

Every Time, My Heart Will Reach Yours

**Breeze leaned back against the outside wall of Raikou High. He was forcing his breathing to remain even, forcing his heart rate to remain semi-normal. It was nearly an instinctive reaction by now, to remain calm in the darkest of situations. But this wasn't exactly a desperate position he was in now, was it.**

**He still remembered how he practically dropped the phone when he'd heard Toratsume's voice on the other side. They hadn't talked in over two years, not since Tora had left Chi. Breeze himself had left not long after. Without Tora, there was no Chi for him, there was no point. Without Tora, Breeze wasn't the sharpshooter, the tough, fearless gang member he'd once been.**

**The dark haired teen wiggled the fingers on his right hand, wondering briefly if he could still hold a gun the same way he used to. Still fire a shot with the same accuracy. Bone had taught him how to shoot, but it had been Tora who had taught him everything else. Things that were almost practically against everything Chi stood for. But then **

**again . . .**

**Tora had been the one that found him. He would have died without Tora. His mother had abandoned him in an old, empty alleyway, and Breeze had truly thought there was nothing left to do but die. And then Tora had walked past, and out of everyone in the crowds of people on the main street, Tora had noticed him.**

"_**Do you really want to die here?"**_

**At the time, his answer had been yes. There wasn't anything to live for. At least that's what he thought. But Tora insisted on his life continuing.**

"_**Don't you want to see just one more sunrise?"**_

**Questions like that kept him going for the first month. One more sunrise, sunset, shooting star, snowfall. Until he couldn't remember why he'd even wanted to die at all. The world was so beautiful even underneath all the ugly stuff their city held. Even underneath Chi.**

**If Tora led the way to life, then surely, Scourge led the way to death. It had been Breeze's choice to begin helping Tora in Chi, he wanted to earn his keep, repay a debt of life. He quickly became the best shot in the entire gang. But he would never shoot to kill, not once. And Tora, a master of speed and fighting with nothing but his own body, hadn't killed either.**

**Until Red died. That was when Breeze learned the true horrors of Chi. The reasons Tora had never let him attend the meetings of the higher ups, though he'd been invited. Scourge, their leader, was ruthless. Betray him, fail him, get captured by a rival gang, and you died. You were sliced open, gutted for the rest of the gang to see. Breeze never saw, and he was glad he never did.**

**The sixteen year old strained his ears again, listening carefully for any signs that he was being watched. If Chi found out where he and Tora had been all this time, they'd be killed. This meeting was sheer idiocy, but he'd agreed to it. **

**He heard footsteps, and flinched slightly, before he realized that the sound was in a familiar pattern. A pattern he and Tora had devised to signal safety, or danger. But this was not the later, and he felt himself relax. Turning, he caught sight of the familiar brown hair highlighted with a darker brown on the edges, and deep amber eyes. **

**Though he and Tora had somehow ended up at the same school, they'd never talked. And had tried their best to pretend they didn't know each other, if only for safety's sake. But now that Breeze was looking at him, really and truly looking at him, he saw how much "Tiger" had changed. His amber eyes were much softer now, yet deeper, as if hiding a whole different world inside of them. **

"**Hey, Breeze . . ." Toratsume whispered, staring at the ground. "Sorry to call you out here like this . . . How've you been?"**

**Breeze cocked his head, "Me? The question should really be 'how have **_**you**_** been,' Tora. You look like crap."**

**Tora shot him a playful glare, "thanks."**

"**Anytime," Breeze smirked. "So what's up? What happened that made you suddenly need my help after all this time?"**

**The older teen stared at the ground again, "I . . . don't really know how to **

**explain . . ." He looked up at Breeze again, holding out a hand, "come here. I'll show you."**

**Breeze made a face, "oh god. **_**This**_** again? I hate it, you know I do. Just let me get my own set of dreams when the time comes." Reluctantly, he stepped forward, letting Tora's hand connect with his forehead. "Show me then," he muttered, closing his eyes.**

**This wasn't the first time Tora had shared memories of the forest with Breeze in this way, and he knew it wouldn't be the last. Tora said it was a power that could only be used by those who had actually **_**been**_** there, been a part of that place that Tora saw in his dreams. But Breeze had never seen this forest, never dreamed anything like the dreams Tora talked about. But sometimes . . . Sometimes he could hear gentle waves lapping at a sandy shore, and wind blowing all around him, over hills and distant trees.**

**As Tora's hand connected with his forehead, his mind was Instantly invaded by what his friend had seen. Breeze felt his heart lurch as he realized that he was seeing more than just memories of the forest. Images of a fiery furred cat were overlapped with images of a teenage boy of the same hair color. A scene of a she-cat dieing, was flickering back and forth between that and a scene inside a hospital. The dark haired teen's heart stopped as the vision ground to a halt with a splash of blood, an amber eyed cat falling to the ground as his life seeped out of him. And then . . . A small black cat with blood stained claws standing over the dieing warrior.**

**Breeze jerked away from Tora's hand with a startled gasp. "Wha . . . What the hell Tora!" He glared at the older boy, "why were those scenes mixed with events that obviously happened in **_**this**_** world!"**

**Tora drew his hand back and stared at it, "Because . . . This world . . . And the one I see only in dreams . . . They're the same. The things I've been seeing are happening here, Breeze. And I . . . I saw my own death."**

**The dark haired teen groaned and pushed his face into his hands. "Tora . . . How the hell am I supposed to help you with that? I can't change the future."**

"**You can help," Tora insisted, a smirk playing across his features. "The one who killed me in the vision, do you know who it was?" When Breeze shook his head with an annoyed look on his face, Tora nearly laughed. In many ways, the younger boy's stubbornness was a lot like Hiro's. "It was Scourge, Breeze."**

**Breeze's head snapped up, amber eyes wide, "Scourge?"**

"**Yes," Tora said quietly, "Breeze . . . I need you to tell me everything you've heard about Chi's recent activities. **_**Everything**_**."**

**^-^ ^-^ ^-^**

**Hiro was walking through darkness. All around him, he could only make out pitch black darkness. And it seemed to never end, no matter how far he walked. He could only see himself, nothing more. Briefly, he wondered if it was a dream. But that couldn't be, he was still human. He had never retained his human form in a dream before.**

**The redhead's emerald eyes flickered closed for an instant as a bright flash of light lit up the darkness not far away. He halted in his steps, surprised. He waited, watching that spot in the darkness. Maybe he had just imagined it . . .**

**Light flared up again, causing the darkness in the distance to melt away. Hiro shielded his eyes as the light flashed again, brighter than before. And this time, it did not flicker out. Hiro lowered his arms, startled to find the light moving closer to him. And as it drew nearer, he began to realize it wasn't just light . . .**

**. . . But fire . . . **

**Hiro stared at the flames licking up the darkness in it's path, his eyes widening as he saw that it was not just flames before him. A fiery orange furred cat with emerald eyes looked up at him as Hiro dropped to his knees before the vision. "You're . . . **

**Fireheart . . ."**

**The cat mewled with light laughter, "it's been a long time since I've been called that, but yes. I am Fireheart, just as much as you are."**

**The teen raised a hand to his heart, "me? But . . . I know I've dreamed of that place . . . But if you're here, how can I . . . How can we be . . ."**

**The cat's eyes narrowed in amusement and understanding, "you and I have the same soul, Hiro. And even if we are worlds apart, our feelings are the same, our experiences are similar."**

"**Similar?" Hiro cocked an eyebrow at this. "From what I've seen, they're the same."**

"**Most things are," the cat confirmed, "but not all. Hiro, the one you love, what is that cat's name in my world?"**

"**To- I mean, Tigerclaw," Hiro whispered, why?"**

**At this, the fiery cat looked regretful, "it is not the same where I am, Hiro. Tigerclaw and I . . . the circumstances we were raised in, we could have never been anything more that enemies. No matter what we may or may not have felt." **

**Hiro blinked, "but if you hated him . . . Why . . . Why do your eyes look so sad?"**

**The cat looked down at his paws, "Hiro . . . There is a very fine line between love and hate . . . And I've always been standing with a paw on each side. And yet . . . I couldn't . . ." He looked up at Hiro again, his eyes flaring with anguish. "But you have a chance to change that, Hiro! You have a chance to have what I could not!"**

**The teen blinked in confusion, "what . . . What do you mean? is something going to happen to Tora!? Fireheart, please tell me what's going to happen to him!"**

"**I can not," the tom cat murmured, "it is not my place to tell. I now Tora has told you that many times before. I can only tell you this." He turned his back to Hiro, looking over his shoulder at the twoleg boy. "Find the **_**"three"**_**. that is your only chance. And remember, always remember Spottedleaf, because the future **_**can**_** be changed."**

**The fire flickered out, taking the cat inside it's flames with it, leaving Hiro inside the endless darkness once more.**

**RANDOM AUTHOR RAMBLE**

**Gomenasai! Gomenasai! Sorry, sorry everyone. I was on vacation from the 11th****-18****th**** of July, then home for four days (in which time I had to go to an artists meeting, see Half Blood Prince twice, and unpack and repack) and then I was on a trip with a buncha friends till the 29****th****. Then I had to finish my entry for a Warriors AMV villain contest. (guess who I picked? Yup, Tigerclaw/star. It has slight TigerxFire in it, so watch it! It's in FelineFantasy's contest.)**

**And then I had brain damage for this chapter. Lol. Sorries. But without any new chapies of Tsubasa and xXxHolic in so long, I was like "duuuhhhhh . . ." thank god for Naruto tho. Even tho it's never ending and frankly, reeeeaaalllly stupid at the mo. It had Gaara in it's new chapter. *sparkly eyes* I hope Lee shows up soon too. And thank god for Shugo Chara too. The new chapter (possibly the last chapter) comes out in a few days. Woot!**

**Btw, has everyone read Bluestar's Prophecy yet? Let's just say I saw every death coming from a mile away. And not cause I knew that they had to die cause they weren't in the first series, but just the way the chapters before the deaths ended. Like, "I'll always be with you," and "you'll see him again soon." it was like, "nooooo u wont!" I didn't get to see two things I really wanted to see tho. I wanted to see more about Redtail, and why Bluestar chose him as her deputy and such. But that wasn't in there. I also wanted more little Spottedleaf focus. She should have been more interesting, like she was prophesized to be a great medicine cat or sumthin. And I also wanted to see Bluestar's internal reaction to Tigerclaw saying he killed Oakheart. Nope, none of that. **

**One last thing. I kno all of you have been waiting for my AshSoot fic. I'm almost done with the first chapter, but to hold you over, pleaz watch the trailer for it on my youtube profile. I'm kyokunskitty, the story is called "Glass Fire Curse". thankies!**


	17. Chapter 17

**Every Time, My Heart Will Reach Yours**

Jay shivered as he walked the everlasting darkness of his schools hallways. Although his brother walked right beside him, in the blackness that surrounded him, it still seemed as though he was alone. He could sense Leo, not even an entire foot away from him. He could sense every part of him. Hear his heartbeat, feel his emotions, his thoughts.

But he couldn't read minds. He could feel the turmoil in his brothers mind, but he didn't know what he was thinking, not in exact words. If he concentrated hard enough, he could pick up flashes of memories. Memories of Holly, of himself, and a few of Breeze and Ash when Leo had rescued him. Memories that were burned so deep into his brother's mind, that Jay could see them too.

"Leo . . . Is something wrong?" He whispered, too quietly for anyone but his brother to hear.

The redhead turned towards his brother, a smirk on his face, "hey, what have I told you about that?"

"'Bout what?" Jay asked with mock innocence.

"Looking into my head, dummy," the taller triplet reached out and ruffled Jay's hair. "I'm fine, okay? So stop poking around in my mind."

"But-"

"Breeze and I . . . We just have to get some stuff done, all right? There's a lot going down right now," he ran a gentle hand through his brother's hair again, leaning closer to him until his forehead touched Jay's. "Okay?"

Even without seeing the look on his brother's face, Jay felt himself blush. "Not okay," he hissed, "why can't I be in on this whole thing too? It's not fair." He made an annoyed face, "I can help . . . I-"

At that moment, a flare of light lit up the darkness he saw, and he flinched.

"That's . . ." Ducking away from his brothers grip, he reached out towards the place in the darkness the light came from, his hand connecting with the soft cloth of someone's shirt.

"I . . . er . . . Excuse me," Jay stammered, feeling slightly confused. But he knew that he had the right person, the light in his ever darkened vision had grown brighter, and he could even make out some of the features of the person in front of him. An older, but rather short for his age, orange haired boy. A person nearly identical to Leo.

"Are you lost?" The boy asked kindly.

Jay didn't answer, but merely stared at the image of the boy his mind was showing him, connecting it almost instantly with the vague, blurry memories in the back of his mind. "You're . . . you're Firestar, aren't you?"

The boy blinked, looking very surprised in Jay's mind. "Fire_star_? That . . . That's a new one, is all I can say. I've only heard _Fireheart _before. You . . . Know me? The me that lived in Thunderclan?"

"Yes," Jay gasped out, feeling relieved that this person knew what he was talking about.

The redhead glanced behind Jay moment, then back down at the silver-haired teen. "I'm sorry though . . . I don't know who you are, or your brother back there."

Jay looked back at Leo, who's gaze was fixed on them, a really scary gaze, from the feel of it. "Err . . ." Jay stared down at his feet, "uh . . . How did you know we were brothers?" He glanced sightlessly back at Leo again, motioning for him to join them with a jerk of his head. "Anyways . . . Could you possibly, Hiro, perhaps?"

Leo approached them, his eyes widening as he caught the last traces of their conversation. "Hirokoi?" He demanded, "you're Hirokoi?"

Hiro's emerald eyes widened, "whaaa? Who told you that? Who told you my full name?" He slapped a hand over Leo's mouth, stopping another uttering of it.

The younger boy, almost identical to Hiro in every way except for his amber eyes, the same shade as Tora's, smirked. "I'd almost forgotten, that we had come here to find you. In this world, you're our cousin, Hirok-"

"Say it, and died," Hiro warned. "Cousin? I didn't know I had any . . ."

Leo shrugged, "well, our mom has never exactly been in the best of light with the family. So that's not too surprising. I mean, the three of us are pretty lucky we were triplets, or not doubt we'd all have different fathers and such."

"Triplets?" Hiro's eyes narrowed. _Find the three . . ._ His gaze roamed over the two siblings in front of him now. Blinking, he realized that he could feel it, the strange energy that seemed to roll off of them. Did they still possess those powers, even in this world? "Where's your other sibling?" He asked, wondering if it was really as easy as that to find all three.

"Holly?" Jay asked, "well . . . Er . . ." His blue eyes widened suddenly, and he tilted his head around Hiro's shoulder. "Over there, actually. And she's with . . ." his eyes narrowed as he felt the different thoughts and emotions coming from his sister as she walked towards them. "She's with Breeze . . ."

Hiro turned, eyes widening as he caught sight of the person in question. She had short, dark black hair, and eyes the same shade as his own. "You're Holly, right?" He held out a hand, "I just met your brothers, I'm Hiro."

The girl looked up at him, and he flinched as he caught a flash of a dark smile play on her lips. "Hiro? Oh, we've been wanting to meet you for awhile now." She took his hand, shaking it slowly.

The redhead flinched inwardly, nearly jerking his hand out of her grasp. There was no power like that he had felt from the brothers. At least . . . Not the same sort of power. And as her hand touched his, he felt as though dark, cold shadows were creeping up his arm. And he couldn't help but finally snap his hand out of her grip.

At this motion, the boy that had come with her, someone he hadn't noticed before, took a few steps away from Holly. He was identical in hair color to her, though his eyes were the same as Leo's. Hiro's eyes narrowed, "is he your brother also?" He asked, making eye contact with Leo.

"No," Leo laughed, "that's Breeze, a friend of ours." He stepped forward, taking Jay with him, and the two casually came in between Holly and Breeze.

Hiro's eyes narrowed, siblings or not, he could almost sense the invisible rift between the sister and her brothers. But she merely smiled at them, as if noticing nothing.

"Well," Holly said pleasantly, "I better be off. And you four should get going too, you know? I mean . . ." She glanced at Hiro, "Don't you have your next class with Tora?"

Hiro's eyes widened, and he felt an overwhelming sense of dread. The words caught in his throat as he tried to ask how she new Tora, and Holly walked away.

Beside Jay, Breeze clenched his fists into the front of his shirt. "God damn it . . ." he whispered. "Talking so casually about Tora like that . . . I'll kill her, I really will. If she so much as touches him-"

Hiro's head whipped around towards the boy, "what? Tora, what about him? What the hell is she going to do to Tora?"

Breeze stared at him, "Hiro, huh? Well, I do have to say, I can see why Tora's head is filled with images of you, your pretty cute." He smirked as Hiro turned a bright scarlet. "But don't worry, you're not _my_ type." His eyes flicked over towards Jay for a moment, so brief even Leo barely had time to punch him warningly in the arm. "We can't talk about this here, Hiro," Breeze whispered. "But I have every intention of telling you what we know. Because I know that Tora's going to try and stop everything all on his own." He held out a hand, "so, let's say that I'll call you as soon as anything comes up, neh?"

Hiro took the hand, and felt shock lace through him the moment he touched it. Like lightning, lacing his way up through his arm, a power on equal terms with Jay's and Leo's. The redhead narrowed his eyes,_ Firestar . . . I've found them. Now what?_

RANDOM AUTHOR RAMBLE

Tadah! Lookie the Plot Bunny! *laughs* anywho . . . Yeah, I made Breeze be the third. Cause I was one of the crazoids hoping that he was the Fourth Apprentice and the real Third before Sunset came out. I'm sure most of you heard those theories too, lol. Plus, Birchy's kits cannot physically exist in this world, cause even tho he's not in here, he does go to Raikou High. (and so does Berry) and u know what that means!!!! Whaahahahaha . . . *evil*

Anywho . . . Since I mentioned it, I might as well tell you all, but I sorta wanted it to be a surprise. I already have it planned out, and it's too good an idea to pass up. If you want Birchfall to appear, you'll have to wait. Cause he wont show up until the SEQUEL to ETMHWRY (weird abbreviation . . .)

*claps* yeah, a sequel. Focusing on Jay, Leo, and Breeze as the main charies. Because Tora and Hiro will be . . . Well, u'll have to wait and see, won't you! Ahahahaha! But yeah, I'm a sick kid who reeaaally wanted to write a totally serious BreezeJayLion love triangle AU. And I have a feeling that I will have equal fluff for both pairings before I decide who Jay will end up with. Ahahahaha. Crap, the ItaSasu, Wincest, and Twincest has gone to my brain. *such a perv . . .*

Anywho . . . I wanna hear title ideas from u all about the sequel! Review! *cause I like them . . . And I only got like . . . Two last time . . . *sobs* reviews make me remember to write!


	18. Chapter 18

**Every Time, My Heart Will Reach Yours**

Hiro's emerald eyes glazed over as he stared up into the cloud filled sky. Rain was slowly starting to drip down out of the clouds like it had been threatening to do all day, littering the sidewalk with tiny splotches. The orange haired boy pushed a stray strand of hair out of his eyes, taking in the sight of darkened heavens again. Tiny, slow, raindrops. Almost like tears.

The wooden door the seventeen year old was leaning against swung open, and he toppled backwards into waiting arms. Hiro craned his neck backwards, feeling startled. He'd completely forgotten where he was for a moment. And now, he was staring up into golden eyes and messy gray hair.

"I was wondering if you were planning on standing on my doorstep forever," Gray said monotonely, hoisting Hiro back into a standing position. "And then it started to rain. So what kinda friend would I be if I didn't invite you inside, nah?"

The redhead rolled his eyes, "gee, really? Cause you know, I just love coming over to peoples houses and talking to them through the window."

"Really? Me too!" Gray grinned, laughing as Hiro shoved him into the house.

Hiro shot him a glare, closing the door behind him, "you skipped school today," he stated, setting the bags he was carrying down on the kitchen table. "Don't do it again. I can see that you're not sick, so no excuses."

Gray shrugged, reaching out a hand to riffle through the groceries Hiro had picked up. "Sometimes . . . I just need a day off, you know?" He smiled softly, ripping open a package of cookies and stuffing one in his mouth. "Hiiiiirooo . . . You got me cookies! You're such a good friend!"

The orange haired boy narrowed his eyes, "it was on your list. Anyways, what do you mean, 'a day off'? You have to go to school, Gray. That's irresponsible."

The taller teen shook his head, grabbing Hiro's hand and pulling him towards the couch. "Here, Hiro. Sit with me a moment, okay?" He waited as the other sat down, and turned to face him, pulling his knees up onto the cushions. "Hiro, you're looking at the world to seriously," Gray murmured.

Hiro's eyes narrowed, and he moved into the same position as Gray, pulling his knees up onto the couch and facing his friend. "What do you mean?"

Gray's golden eyes clouded for a moment, "you've always been that way, Hiro. You think you can solve every problem, face any danger, and still come out of it just fine. But you know . . . That's not the way the world works."

"I know that Gray, I-"

The taller boy held a hand up to Hiro's mouth, "no, you don't, Hiro. Just listen to me a moment, okay?" He kept his hand there, "Every sunrise you see, every time you blink, every breath you take, it could be the last. The last of your own, or the last of someone close to you. You may blink, and suddenly find that someone you love is gone, just like that. And so . . . Spend every day with the people you love. You never know . . . When they could be suddenly snatched away from you."

Hiro felt his eyes cloud up as well, "Gray . . ."

Gray smiled at his friend, "don't look at me like that, stupid." He reached out, wrapping an arm around the smaller boy's shoulders. "Just remember . . . That even when it seems insignificant . . . Tell those you care about that you love them. And don't ever let your last words be a regret."

The redhead leaned against the taller boy's shoulder. "Is this one of those insignificant times?" He asked sarcastically.

"No, it's important," Gray laughed. "And besides, I show my love through my actions!"

Hiro lay a punch on his friend's stomach, "here, some love from me too then, jerk." He watched with satisfaction as Gray doubled over, his face resting against the cushions of the couch. Smirking, he pointed at the upholstery, "oh yeah, I forgot to tell you. Tora and I did it on this couch."

Gray jumped up with a start, rolling off of the furniture and standing up. "Burn it! Burn it now!" He screamed, pointing at the offending item, while Hiro laughed.

^-^ ^-^ ^-^

Tora pushed the gun he was holding into a shoe box, shoving it deep under the bed as he heard a knock on the door. Narrowing amber eyes, he wondered who would be coming to his house at - he checked his watch - eight at night. Standing up, he made his way down the hall to the front entryway. If it was Raven, escaped from Mitsuki's babysitting, he'd give the kid a good talking to.

The nineteen year old swung the door open, and was hit full blast by the smell of popcorn. "Wha . . . What the hell?"

Hiro stood in the doorway, holding up a plastic grocery sack with two freshly popped bags of popcorn in it towards Tora. He raised an eyebrow, "what do you mean 'what the hell'? I, your boyfriend, have decided that I want to spend the night, problem?"

"Boyfriend?" Tora asked, still feeling slightly startled by his sudden guest. In the year he'd known Hiro, they'd never used the term "boyfriend" before.

"Yeah, boyfriend," Hiro said, feeling slightly annoyed. "And I'm spending the night. So move so I can come in."

Tora stepped aside, "spend the night?"

Hiro rolled his eyes, "duuuuhhh . . ."

The older boy raised an eyebrow. What was with that attitude? Little jerk. He reached out, ruffling the other's bright orange hair, "okay then, that means we can have-"

"No," Hiro said immediately, watching with slight satisfaction as the smile on his lover's face dropped. "Tonight, we're watching a movie and eating popcorn."

Toratsume made a face, "that's girly."

"And then we can snuggle during the movie and make out and-"

"Fine," Tora relented with a growl. He ran a hand through his hair, feeling a little frustrated. He hadn't wanted Hiro here, not tonight. But if he _had_ to be here, he at least wanted a little more than that. After all . . . Tomorrow . . .

The older boy shook his head. No. he wouldn't think about that. Hiro was too good at reading his emotions. He couldn't let him know. Not now, not ever.

He smiled slightly, grabbing Hiro's hand, "alright then, go get everything set up. I'll grab a blanket."

Hiro sat down on the couch, pouring the popcorn into a bowl and setting it down on the coffee table, before he reached across the TV and popped the DVD in. Tora returned a moment later, holding a large, snowflake speckled comforter. Hiro stared at it, "uh . . . You could just turn up the thermostat."

Tora waved the item in his lover's face, "that's expensive. And besides, this is romantic, curled up under a blanket together, right? And since we can't-"

"No," Hiro stated again, snatching the blanket from the older boy and wrapping it around himself. He waited a moment, as Tora pouted in silence, before he lifted up the corner of it, "come on, you big baby."

The older teen glared daggers at him, but sat down, letting Hiro cover him in the blanket. "What movie is it anyways?"

"The Lake House," Hiro grinned.

Half way through the movie, Tora felt Hiro lay his head on his shoulder. Smiling slightly, the older boy curled his arm around the other's shoulders. Hiro leaned into his touch, sighing a bit. "Tora . . . Promise me that you'll never leave me . . ."

Tora ran rough fingers through the smaller boy's hair, "haven't I already promised this before?" He smirked, as Hiro glanced up at him with an annoyed, "you're ruining the moment" expression. "Yeah, I promise, Hiro. That no matter what happens, I'll always be here. Even if I . . ." he hesitated, "even if I suddenly have to leave your side, I promise to return. And stay beside you forever. Even . . ." He pressed his face against the top of Hiro's head, "even if you can't see me . . . I love you, Hiro."

Hiro buried his face against Tora's chest, "love you too . . ." he whispered, his heart feeling like it was caving in on itself. Something was wrong. Something was different in the way Tora had said those last few words. Almost like . . .

. . . Almost like a goodbye.

When Hiro awoke, he was surprised to find that it was still dark outside. He rolled over, catching the alarm clock in his hands. His head felt fuzzy, and it took him a few moments to focus enough on the numbers to read them. Nine thirty-four. Huh. He could have sworn he had come to Tora's house a little after eight. And the movie had ended at about ten . . . So why was it nine thirty-four? And dark outside?

He rolled over staring up at the ceiling. He was till in Tora's house, Tora's bed. He could smell his lover's faint scent on the blankets. The bed was even still slightly warm from where he had been. Huh, weird, where was he now. He hardly ever left for even the bathroom if Hiro was still sleeping. The redhead rubbed his eyes, wondering again why his brain felt like it was full of mush.

The last thing he could remember was drinking some tea with the older boy. Funny tea though . . . It had tasted vaguely strange to him. Hiro sat up, realization dawning on him. It had tasted of sleeping pills, and a hell of a lot of them at that. Enough for . . . He looked at the clock again. This was _not_ the same day he'd come over. It was the next. And Tora was gone.

Rolling off the bed, Hiro caught sight of a small piece of paper on the bedside table. Scooping it up, he flipped it over, his eyes scanning over the two words as his heart clenched.

_I'm sorry._

Just two words. That was all. Two words on red paper. Hiro blinked. Red? Hadn't the paper been white only a moment before. The seventeen year old realized what was happening as he collapsed against the ground, his vision swimming with blood.

_He was standing over the writhing, gasping form of Tigerclaw. No, _Tigerstar_, he corrected himself. There was blood, so much blood. Bathing his paws with red and splashing droplets onto his face. Tigerstar gasped again, his amber eyes wide as he looked up at Hiro. Eyes full of despair, anger . . . Regret?_

_And then the tabby lay still. No rise and fall of his chest, to flick of his still open eyes. He was dead._

And Hiro screamed, clutching the piece of paper he still held in his hand even tighter as the agony wracked his body. He screamed, and screamed, and screamed. But there was no one to hear it. Tora had vanished.

Outside, the thunder cracked and boomed as it continued to rain.

RANDOM AUTHOR RAMBLE

Wow. Okay, so first off, I forgot to go over a few things in last chapter. Hiro's full name is Hirokoi. Which basically translates to "Love's light on the path." which is the closest thing I can get to Fireheart. Hiro thinks it's embarrassing, and hates it when he's called that. So that's why it was only mentioned recently. And Hiro's conversation with Gray at the beginning of this chapter. I've had that planned out since I first heard the song "If Today Was Your Last Day". First verse reflects the beginning of this chapter.

Also . . . If anyone can correctly guess what the rain is soooooo important for, u win a prize. :3

We're at the edge of the story's climax now, so I'll be mass producing chapters again, lol. Cause I'm excited too! *thumbs up* but I'll be releasing them only two or so a week. Just to torture you . . . Ahahahahahaha! What's the fun if I give u all the excitement at once? *runs from angry mob* I really just wanna see ur shocked reviews at all the cliffhangers I have in store for you. Lol. *ducks rocks thrown at her* love u all! Please Review!


	19. Chapter 19

**Every Time, My Heart Will Reach Yours**

Jay's eyes snapped open, and he wondered for a moment what had woken him. He rolled over, and tried to sit up before he felt someone's arm wrap around his chest, pulling him back down. The silver-haired teen rolled his eyes a bit as Leo pressed his face against Jay's hair. "Leo . . ."

The redhead mumbled something in his half wakefulness, glancing at the clock on the bookshelf. "It's eleven-thirty, Jay, come on . . ." He looped both arms around his brother now, dragging him back down and pulling him close against his body. "Sleeeepppp . . ." he crooned, smiling.

The smaller sibling glared at him, though he knew very well Leo had probably closed his eyes again. "Leo, something's wrong. I can _feel_ it. Can you just let me up?"

"No."

At that moment, the phone rang, echoing the sound throughout the whole room. Leo growled, rolled over, and caught the item in his hands. "What."

Jay poked his brother in the side, "that is _not_ how you answer a phone, idiot."

Leo ignored him, "what? Wait, Breeze, slow down. Okay . . . Alright . . . Are you sure? . . . Hiro called you? But it wasn't supposed to be for another week . . ." He turned to his brother, "Jay, is Holly still here?"

Jay reached out with his mind, searching for any sign of his sister within their house. "No," he said finally.

Leo cursed under his breath before turning back to the phone. "Breeze, we'll be there in a little bit. We'll pick up Hiro too. Can you contact the rest of the team? Yeah, okay." He slammed the phone down, glaring at it as though it was all it's fault.

"Leo?" Jay whispered.

"Tora's gone," the taller brother hissed. "Stupid git. Making his move as soon as he got Breeze to tell him everything. Holly _knew_ Breeze was spying on her. It was a false date we had, damn it all." He ran a hand through his hair, turning towards his brother. "Hey, come here."

Jay raised an eyebrow, but did so, scootching across the bed until he sat before his brother. "Are we going to go then, Leo?"

"Yeah," the taller sibling muttered. He curled his hand around the back of Jay's neck, tangling his fingers in his silver-gray hair. Pulling him forward, he took Jay's mouth against his own. "Stick close to me tonight, Jay." He kissed him again, "you know I love you, right?"

"Yes," Jay breathed, feeling slightly exasperated. "But since you're practically _immortal_, I'd appreciate it if you'd stop acting like we were heading into a near death experience."

"Well, you never know," Leo smirked, ruffling his brother's hair and getting out of bed. Stretching, he glanced back at Jay, feeling the other glaring at him, "what?"

"Remember to put some _cloths_ on before we leave please," Jay stated, grabbing his own pants from the floor. "Even if Holly isn't here, I'm sure you remember that very awkward moment when you walked out of the room while she was in the hall. Not that it wasn't amusing . . ." He smirked.

"For you, maybe," Leo muttered, pulling a hoodie over his head. He pulled open a desk drawer, drawing out a small, shining handgun. Clicking the safety in place, he tucked it into the back of his pants, before turning towards his brother again.

"I hope you won't have to use that," Jay whispered, hearing the click of the gun. "Even if you do know how . . ."

Leo stepped forward, drawing his brother into his arms from behind. "It'll be okay. I promise."

Jay raised his hands up, clutching at those of his brother's around his own shoulders. "Don't make promise you can't keep," he murmured.

^-^ ^-^ ^-^

Hiro closed the door to Tora's house shut, flinching at the sound it made. No matter how he prayed that everything was going to be alright, he couldn't help but feel that this house would remain empty after tonight. He clamped his eyes shut, trying to keep his memory of the vision away, to little avail.

Car headlights skimmed up the street, stopping in in front of the house. Hiro blinked, feeling a bit confused before he remembered that Breeze had said someone would be picking him up.

He began walking towards the car, when a hand caught him around the arm, pulling him backwards for a moment. Startled, Hiro nearly cried out, until he turned to face golden eyes.

Gray grinned at him, "hey, not planning on leaving without me, are you?"

From the car, Leo leaned out of the driver's side, "yo! Let's get this show on the road kitties!"

"It's going to be dangerous," Hiro whispered.

"I know," Gray smiled, "but what's a little life without danger?"

^-^ ^-^ ^-^

Breeze tapped his foot impatiently. He was currently leaning against a tree in the park a block from the school. He ran a hand through his short black hair, growling under his breath.

"They're late," Ash commented from beside him, receiving a glare from the younger boy. "Just saying," he muttered, kicking Breeze in the leg teasingly.

The younger boy rolled his eyes, about to hit him back when he noticed the light of an approaching car. "Great Starclan, finally," he hissed, watching as four people began to approach them.

"Team Leo reporting for duty!" Leo stated, saluting Breeze mockingly.

"Why do you get to name the team?" Gray protested, prodding the younger boy in the ribs.

Breeze suppressed the strong urge to knock their head's together. "It's team Wind, Leo. And I'm in your team too, may I remind you." He ignored Leo's glare, and turned to Hiro, "Don't worry about a thing, Hiro. Tora's going to be just fine. I wasn't in Chi for nothing, you know. I've gathered you the best team around."

He waved a hand around to the trees, "I'll head the first part of all this. You, Jay, Leo, and your friend there will be with me."

Ash stepped forward, smirking confidently, "and I'll lead round two." From the shadows stepped figures Hiro hadn't even noticed were there at first. "The best around, Hiro. And all of them just like us."

Hiro took in the sight of the crowd of people, feeling overwhelmed. There was Dust, running a hand through his namesake brown hair. And Misty, standing on her toes and smiling at him, here eyes carrying a strength he'd never seen there before. Misty's twin brother, Stone, tilting his head to the side as he met Hiro's eyes with a smile. Dust's girlfriend, Sandy, eyes hard and determined. Liran, smirking at Hiro, shrugging his shoulders as the redhead narrowed his eyes at him. Eichi, white and autumn brown hair tied back in a short pony tail, a friend of Hiro's since he was small. And Ritoru, the doctor from the hospital.

"I'll be staying outside, waiting if anyone comes out injured," Ritoru informed.

"We'll get Tora back for you, Hiro," Eichi smiled, "we were all warriors once. And we haven't truly forgotten." He wiped some rainwater off of his face, holding a hand out towards Hiro. "Count on us, just like you did before."

"Before?" Hiro took the hand, and felt a flash of memories transfer through the grip. "Lionclan . . ." He looked up at Eichi, "Are we still Lionclan?"

"Always, Firestar, always," Ash whispered.

"Thank you . . ." Hiro whispered, feeling tears cloud the corners of his eyes. _Thank you . . . Everyone . . ._

Lightning cracked overhead, and Jay flinched. "How are we getting in?" He asked, feeling another pang of dread.

"Doors are all locked," Liran spoke up. "And breaking a window will alert them to our presence."

Leo nodded in understanding, "well, here's what I suggest. Team one goes in first, and unlocks the doors for team two."

"And how do you propose we get in?" Breeze muttered, flicking his gun around in his hand a few times.

The redhead grinned, "I have an idea. If you'll kindly follow me." He stepped off through the trees, heading towards the center of the park. Kneeling down over a patch of concrete in the middle of the grass, he waited for the others to crowd around him. Still smirking, Leo reached down and pulled up the stained, round metal imbedded into the concrete, revealing the gapping tunnel beneath.

Breeze raised an eyebrow, "the _sewer_? Seriously?"

"There's one of these inside the school in the boiler room," Leo stated, "it's our best way to get in unnoticed. Or are you scared," he teased, hopeing to get a rile out of the boy he considered his "rival".

"No," Breeze huffed indignantly, "it's just a fricken tunnel, why would I be scared. I mean, I've seen things that would make most of you pass out. I was in Chi, after all."

Jay leaned over, gripping the side of Breeze's coat with a shaking hand. "We shouldn't . . ." he whispered. "It's raining, we shouldn't go in there."

"What does rain have to do with anything?" Breeze inquired, "It'll be fine, Jay. Just trust us."

Jay gazed down at where he knew the opening to the hole would be, shivering violently. As dark as his vision. And all he could hear was rushing, rushing water.

RANDOM AUTHOR RAMBLE

Dun dun duuuuunnnn . . . Time is not a specific entity from world to world. Just as people who weren't born yet by the time Fireheart was this age, but are born here with Hiro, certain events intertwine and cross. As you'll see next chapter, if you haven't already figured it out.

If u wanna see a picture of Hiro, go to my website, .com he's the cutie on the homepage there. Lol. Any other charies u wanna see? Ask, and I'll try to get them up there! But Hiro and Jay and Breeze and Tora are my favs to draw, lol. I have some old ones of human Jay and Breeze . . . And a couple of Tora . . . Hmm . . . (from waaayyy before I wrote this fic, lol. I've been planning it for at least a year!)

New charies in this chapter, and reminders of old ones.

Liran - Longtail

Misty - Mistyfoot

Ash - Ashfur

Stone - Stonefur

Ritoru - Littlecloud

Dust -Dustpelt

Sandy - Sandstorm. Yeah, I know, finally, right? I knew she had to be in there somewhere.

Eichi - it means "one" so yup, Onewhisker is here! Yah tah tah taahhh! Yay, I love him. I love his early relationship with Fireheart in the books. He's a total jerk now tho . . . *sighs*

I included the best of the best for this climatic scene. Someone from every clan. I guess Tora coulda been Shadowclan, but I decided Ritoru should be there too, lol.

Oh . . . And on the subject of the beginning of this chapter? Uuuuuhhhh . . . That will be in more detail in "Intertwining Stars," the sequel to this story. A BreezeJayLion triangle fic.

They may or may not have . . . Yeah. I'll just leave it at that. (tho I will write it eventually!) cause I'm growing weirdly attached to LionJay. It's cute . . . And I used it as crack in "Something to Live For."

Also, I got sooooo many reviews for chapter 17! Thankies all of you! Remember, reviews make the story more popular, and help start a fandom! Help start a Warriors AU fandom! (really, this works. One of my current favorites, Death Note, Art Of Drowning, has over 1000 reviews! And it's off the charts!)


	20. Chapter 20

**Every Time, My Heart Will Reach Yours**

"You're really going to catch me?" Jay inquired, leaning over the edge of the hole. "Swear? Cause if you miss I-"

"Jay, just come on. I promised didn't I?" Breeze grinned, holding up his arms once again. "And your brother is right above you, telling you where to jump. It'll be fine."

Leo rolled his eyes, and hooked his hands underneath Jay's arms again. "Ready?"

"No," Jay muttered truthfully. His breath caught in his throat as his brother dropped him into the hole, and he squeezed his eyes shut, though it made no difference between shades of black. He sucked in a shaky breath again as another pair of strong arms caught him around the waist.

"See? Nothing to it," Breeze murmured in his ear, lowering him slowly to the ground.

"Stop doing that," Leo called from the top of the hole, before jumping down to where Breeze and Jay were standing.

"Doing what?" Breeze asked with mock innocence.

"Being all over my brother," Leo muttered darkly. "Just leave his well being to me, it's none of your damn business."

"Stop fighting," Gray cut in from a few steps farther down the tunnel, "we have to get into the school, or had you forgotten." He hooked an arm around Hiro's shoulder's pulling him closer, "so let's go already."

Leo rolled his eyes, but complied, dragging Jay along behind him. Breeze hurried on ahead, leading the way with a small flashlight. Not ten minutes later, the dark haired teen stopped short, making Hiro bump into his back.

"Why'd you stop?" the older boy asked, rubbing his forehead. Standing on his toes, the redhead peered around Breeze to see what the other was looking at. The tunnel stretched out before them, and less than fifty feet away, turned and forked into two paths. "Oh . . ."

The oldest of the triplet's came to stand beside Hiro, running a hand through identical red hair. "Well . . . This is a real trip, isn't it. Let's just go down the path that's on our side of the tunnel. It makes the most sense."

"But we could end up far away from Raikou if it's the wrong one," Breeze pointed out.

Behind them, Jay stood near the wall. Something wasn't right about this place, he could feel it. And the water . . . Even now, he could hear it sloshing up against the edges of the concrete walkway, beginning to overflow it's boundaries as it was laden with rain. Jay flinched as he felt it splash against his shoes, and he jerked backwards, his hand brushing against the wall for stability.

And suddenly, there was blue. Blue fogging up his usually dark vision. _The sound of water rushing, flooding dark tunnels. "I will walk with you, my friend. As you once walked with me."_ _The sound of water, so much water._

"It's the other tunnel," the silver-gray haired teen spoke up suddenly. He raised a hand, pointing in the direction the tunnel across the water with a shaking hand. "We have to take the other tunnel."

"Alright," Breeze agreed readily. "Shall we cross then?"

Leo snorted, "Jay, what do you mean, the other tunnel? It could be either of them, what makes you so sure?"

"I just . . . Know," Jay whispered. His heart lurched as Breeze suddenly hoisted him up onto his back.

"Right then, across we go," the dark haired boy laughed, plowing into the water, Leo not far behind him, looking skeptical.

Gray followed a lot more slowly, making sure Hiro didn't get sucked down by the current. As they reached the other side, Breeze set Jay down on the ground again, taking the other's hand and touching it to the wall. "Lead the way."

Jay trailed his hand along the wall, trying to move forward as fast as he could. Even with the voice echoing in his head, telling him where to go, he couldn't hold back the dread. Because, beneath the voice, there was still the sound of water.

The blind teen stopped, his heart hammering in his chest. No, the sound wasn't just in his mind anymore. It was in these tunnels.

Breeze's arms wrapped around him from behind, pulling him close. "Oh my god . . ." the taller boy whispered, his voice shaking.

And for a split second, with Breeze's arms entwined around him, Jay _saw_ it. The rushing water made sense in his head, as his vision filled with the image of a giant wall of water hurtling down the tunnel. He gasped as Breeze turned him around, pressing his face into the taller teen's chest, just as the wave crashed down around them.

Jay clung desperately to Breeze as they rolled and tumbled through the water. The taller boy loosened a hand from around him, reaching up and grasping hold of something that brought them to a halt in the rushing water. There was a strange, bubbling sort of noise inside the roiling waves, and suddenly, Jay found himself gasping in air as they broke to the surface.

"You okay?" Breeze asked, leaning close enough that Jay could feel his ragged breathing.

"Y-yeah . . ." he raised his eyes to the other, giving him a penetrating stare. "What did you do?" He reached out a hand, feeling that Breeze was holding onto a ladder attached to the concrete wall as they bobbed along the surface of the water.

"Do?" Breeze flexed his hand around Jay's back. "I . . . well, I used the oxygen in the water to push us up to the surface of the water . . . I guess. Never done it like that before though."

"You . . . Manipulated air?" Jay asked, in disbeleif.

"How is that I never hit Tora on accident in all those shoot outs we ended up in?" Breeze chimed brightly. "I can't do a lot. But I can force the bullets to curve around Tora, if I wanted. Didn't think it would work with the water. Weird." He grinned, noticing the doubt and shock in Jay's eyes. "What? It's not any weirder than your brother, who's never bled once in his life."

Jay's eyes widened, "Leo! Where is he? Where's Gray and Hiro?"

At that moment, a head of orange hair burst up through the water, coughing loudly. "Stupid tunnels," Leo growled, swimming over towards the ladder. "Now I remember . . ."

Jay let go of Breeze, letting Leo's arms wrap around him for support in the water. "Are you okay?"

"Water, of all stupid things, isn't going to be what kills me," Leo muttered. "Where's Hiro and Gray?"

Below, far beneath the three, and far underwater, Hiro was unconscious. Gray was gripping the limp teen in his arms, blinking in confusion at his surroundings. Even though he could feel the water rushing past him, he wasn't moving. And he felt no need for air, though he couldn't figure out why.

The dark haired teen shivered as he felt light fingers brush against his cheek, though he could see nothing of the sort. But he could definitely feel it. Gentle hands resting on either side of his face, and a soft breath against his ear.

"_Water will never harm you, Graystripe."_

And then, he was at the surface, gasping in air and pinching Hiro's face to wake the smaller boy up, the words still ringing in his head. He grabbed hold of the ladder, coming up beside the other three as Hiro started to regain consciousness. It hadn't been a dream, no, definitely not.

_Ari . . . _

"What're we going to do after we get in. how are we going to find Tora? And what if we run into other guy's from Chi?" Hiro's voice shook as he came back to reality.

"Someone needs to go and open Science room nine's back door, so Ash and the rest can get in," Breeze said, leading the way up the ladder. "Gray, that'll be your job. After that, stick with group two. Hiro, Leo, jay, you'll be with me. We'll be going along a back way to get to where Chi will most likely be. While group two takes out any guys they find on the main rout. Whoever gets there first, whatever."

Hiro nodded, feeling his heart catch in his chest as began his assent as well.

_Tora . . . We're coming . . . Please be okay . . ._

Tora struggled against the ropes binding him to the chair. His mouth gnawed at the cloth gag, and he retched at the taste of it. Before him, a short, strangely young boy was twirling a knife back and forth in his hand.

The boy had dark black hair, and emerald eyes, eerily similar to Hiro's. He could have only been sixteen or seventeen, Hiro's age, although he was at least a head shorter. He twirled the hilt of the knife on his fingertip, glancing at his prisoner with a dark smile. "You're smart, Tiger. You knew I'd be coming here tonight, days before the night you'd heard of before." He smirked, "well, I just wanted to get rid of some of the opposition, here and now. That white one is already dead, no doubt. What was his name again? Oh yes, Mashiro. That other target, Leon, left early today though. What a shame. And I have a good team chasing after Aoi Houshi right now. Last I heard, we already shot her once. But I really should have saved that duty for _you_, shouldn't I have. After all, it was your fault she died before, wasn't it." The boy laughed, watching as Tora bucked and jerked against the binds.

"Oh hush now, little kitty," the teen purred, touching the knife to Tora's chest. "Tigerstar always just stood by and watched others die. What changed?" He ran the knife upwards, barely touching, not yet enough to cut, towards the older boy's throat. "You were a fool, Tigerstar. I was waiting for you. And you couldn't even kill a single one of my men. The human world made you soft. Or was it just . . ." he smiled darkly, pressing the tip of the knife against the base of Tora's neck, dragging out a thin stream of crimson. "Or was it just . . . Fireheart, that softened you."

Tora strained at the ropes again, desperation clawing in his chest. How did he know? How had this kittypet _known_?

"I have you, Tora. And because of that, Fireheart will walk right into my waiting arms." He laughed again as Tora screamed something against the gag, struggling so hard against the ropes that they had begun to cut into his skin. "He'll come to find you, his most precious person. And I will kill him, Tigerstar. Because you see, otherwise, he'll kill me. I've seen it, in a dream. And I won't let it happen in this world."

He spun the knife against his palm again, "so let's say you and I make this a little more interesting? I want to see that fool suffer, as I do you. So . . . For every minute that passes . . ." he slid the knife across Tora's shoulder, ever so slowly. "One cut."

RANDOM AUTHOR RAMBLE

I hesitated putting in the water scene at all really. I did two different versions of it, and decided this one was a little more believable. In the original, the water never even touches any of them. Breeze propels it with wind, and Leo evaporates it with an arc of fire before it touches him. Lol. The GraySilver scene was basically the same tho. I wanted a place to show a glimpse of all three of their powers. And I also couldn't pass up a last minute GraySilver fluff. Ahahahaha. And Scourge is . . . Really creepy. . . *laughs*

Btw, have you figured out what Jay can do besides just see in people's dreams? It was hinted at in this chapter, and it will play a very important part in the final scene.

Also . . . My Manager-san, from my Doujinshi group, suggested awhile ago that I give all of u my Myspace and Facebook and all that. I have my blog on there and stuff, and I talk about random crap a lot, ahahaha. Like when a new Warriors book comes out. Anywho . . . I go by the same name on Myspace and Facebook! Just search Kari Kurofai! Lol.


	21. Chapter 21

**Every Time, My Heart Will Reach Yours**

Ash gasped as blood clouded his vision, and he fell to the ground as pain laced through his body. Vaguely, he heard Eichi run to his side, but he paid no attention to him. In his mind's eye, the world was covered in blood.

_A clearing between four large oak trees. More cats than he could ever count, screeching, fighting, yowling . . . Dieing. And so much blood._

The gray haired teen choked and gasped for air. Was _that_ what they were about to go through? How could they possibly survive something like that? _Maybe . . . We never did._

For all he knew, they could have all died that night. He'd never had any other visions before now, so he could neither confirm, nor deny that. _We could be walking to our deaths . . ._

Beside him, Eichi, who had his arm across Ash's back, supporting him, lowered his head. "It's all right. Don't give up yet, Ash, We'll get through this." He clenched a fist, holding it in front of the other boy, "we're strong."

"If I let something like this kill me, I'd have died a long time ago," Sandy huffed not far behind them, making Misty laugh. "Don't forget, all of you, that I was the best hunter in Thunderclan."

Ash narrowed his eyes, glancing over his shoulder at her, "but what does that have to do with anything? Hunting isn't going to help in this world."

Sandy smirked broadly, "you'll see."

Footsteps sounded, running in their direction, and Ash stood up. Liran emerged from the shadows, panting, "Guys, Gray's just opened the door!"

Ash nodded to the team, and they raced off through the shadows to the building, slipping silently through the cracked side door. Catching sight of Gray, Ash nodded to him, "you can go back to the other team now."

Gray laughed quietly, "I don't think so. I bet I'll have a lot more fun here, Ash. And besides . . ." he flicked a hand towards the door into the main hallway, "you're going to have your hands full."

Liran edged closer to the door, frowning as he shot a glance out the window. "Well, well, well," he muttered. "Just arrived and already we have company." he took a few steps back, and much to Ash's surprise, launched himself forward again, kicking the door out into the hallway, breaking the hinges clean in two.

There was a muffled groan from beneath the door, which Liran was standing on in the classic "victory" pose, sending Ash a peace sign. "Man, this is gonna be sweeeeeet!" He glanced down at the door again, wondering briefly what poor gangster he'd crushed.

"Don't be so reckless," Ash hissed, joining him in the hallway, and motioning for the rest of the group to join them. "Someone will have obviously heard that, idio-"

Sandy scooted past him, out into the hall, just as a loud bang echoed past them. "Wow, they sure can't aim," she remarked, sounding rather bored, staring down at her nails. "Hey, Dusty, you got my back?"

Dust grinned, "you bet," and cracked his knuckles loudly.

Before Ash could say anything, Sandy shot forwards, running a hand along the wall as she did so. Dust was close behind her, using the opposite wall in the same way. He ducked as a bullet wizzed just past the top of his head. "They're getting better," he muttered, casting a glance at Sandy.

She laughed, putting on an extra burst of speed as she caught sight of the gunman. He cocked his gun at her, and using the force of the speed, and her touch on the wall, she lifted her feet off the ground, touching them to the wall briefly, before jumping higher than the bullet's reach.

And it was a jump with just enough distance, as she swung her right leg around away from the wall and cracked the Chi member over he head with a powerful kick. Touching the ground again on both feet and a hand, she glanced over her shoulder at Ash, "so . . . How do you like my hunting now?"

Ash shrugged, feeling slightly put off. Misty just laughed, and led the group over to where Sandy and Dust were looking down at the unconscious man. Stone narrowed his eyes, "how many of these idiots do you think are in here?"

"Too many?" His sister suggested, nudging the man with her foot. "Nothing we can't handle though." She looked up, narrowing her eyes, "I think we should split into two teams. Stone, Dust, Sandy and I in one, Liran, Eichi, Ash, and Gray in the other." She motioned towards a side hallway farther down. "There's more of them coming now. My group will stay here."

Ash wondered if pointing out that _he_ was supposed to be leading this group was a good idea, before he decided against it. Misty was right, and with all these guards here, they'd never be able to tackle them all one at a time. He nodded, and took off in the opposite direction, his group following him.

If he could have his way, he would have been on Breeze's team in the first place. Their group was down to four, with a blind kid and Hiro, who'd had too little training for this. Then again, Gray hadn't had much either. While Hiro and him had played in the sandbox as kids, the rest of them had been instinctively following what remained of the warrior code that was left in their hearts. Even without memories, they'd wanted it, never knowing exactly what it was.

It was a way of life . . .

Beside them, a door suddenly swung open, and Liran let out a strangled growl. His yellow eyes raked up and down the person in the doorway, not even flinching as the barrel of a gun was pressed harder against the side of his head. "You stinking traitor," he hissed.

In the doorway, a tall, older teen, probably the same age as Tora stood. He was smiling darkly at Liran, clicking the safety off of the gun with a laugh. "Traitor? Me? I don't think so." He shifted the gun against the side of Liran's head a bit, "If I remember correctly, Longtail, you were the one who stayed behind, fighting for _Thunderclan_." He spat out the last word with distaste. "I was the one who stayed loyal to Tigerstar. Me, the only one. And what did I get for it?" He glanced at the rest of the group threateningly, "nothing. I _died_ for him, and I received nothing for it. And here, now, I find out that it was because of that damn _kittypet_. Ha! If I had known Tigerstar was like that, I would have killed him myself."

Liran narrowed his eyes, "your name always did betray your soul, _Darkstripe_. But Tora is different. He had _reasons_ behind what he did in the forest. You on the other hand," he yawned pointedly, "were just plain evil all around, weren't you. Tora ended up different because he didn't have the same parentage, the same misguidance in his early life. And neither did you for that matter. And yet . . ." He smirked, "here we are."

The other boy growled in rage, his finger squeezing down on the trigger. Liran dropped down and sideways instinctively. At the same moment, Gray dropped onto all fours and flung his leg out, catching Dark across the shin and causing the older teen to fall forwards. He jumped back into the air, and crashed down heavily on top of the other, winding him, before he grasped the back of his head and smashed it into the tile floor with a loud crack.

Liran sat on the other side of the now comatose Dark, holding his head as blood squeezed out from between his fingers. "Well that was pleasant," he muttered. "Act faster next time Gray, that bullet nearly got me all the way. Just a cut this time. Thank Starclan."

Eichi ran to his side, tearing off one of his shirt sleeves and wrapping it around his head. "It's fine," Liran whined, pushing himself up from the ground. "Let's kick some ass.

Ash grinned, "right then. As kicking time it is." Suddenly, he flinched, his eyes narrowing.

"What?" Gray asked, coming up to stand beside him.

"Just now . . . I thought I heard someone yelling. But it was . . . A lot more like a scream." He took a few steps forward, before breaking into a run. "You guy's stay here., something's wrong!"

Gray didn't question him, and nodded, leading the group down another hallway.

But Ash kept running. He didn't know how he knew, why he _should _know, but he did. Somehow, the other's were in danger. That had been Jay's scream. Blood was filling his vision once again, but this time, he wasn't seeing the forest.

_He was seeing Leo, laying on tiled floor, blood spreading outwards away from his body._

He narrowed his eyes. It would not happen. He had seen it, and now, he would stop it. He had no other choice.

"_How can any of you have failed to see the blood . . ."_

RANDOM AUTHOR RAMBLE

Mwahahahahaha! *is evil* do u like their fighting? I'm not so experienced in fighting scenes with people. The only one I've written before was Tora's flashback with Breeze.

Anywho . . . I bet ur all like "oh nooooosss!!" HA. I want it to be that way. Every chapter from now on will have a horrible cliff hanger. Hahahahahaha. *gets shot by Breeze*

I've wanted to add Darkstripe for awhile, even tho I freakin HATE him. But he was in it before, he was the person Holly was talking to when she tried to kill Ash and Breeze.

Btw, I was commissioned to do character sketches for some of the peoples.

So far I've done Tora, Hiro, Gray, Ash, Leo, Jay, and Breeze. If u have anyone else I should include ask. Cause I'll he posting them on my website on Sept. 12. *thumbs up*

REVIEW GUYS! WE"RE ONLY THIRTYISH AWAY FROM 100!!!!

I kno I always read the ones with more reviews. *stupid*


	22. Chapter 22

**Every Time, My Heart Will Reach Yours**

Jay knew he should have paid more attention. This was _his fault . . ._ And there was absolutely nothing he could do about it.

Breeze walked sideways, his back to the wall of the hallway. "I don't see anyone yet," he remarked. His amber eyes scanned the corridors ahead again, and he shrugged. "I can hear Ash's gang over that way," he waved a hand in the opposite direction, "sounds like they're making a wonderful distraction. Hopefully, a big enough one to lure that damn Scourge away."

Hiro stood a few paces behind him, "are you sure about that? I mean . . ." He pressed his forehead into the palm of his hand. "He . . . Was really smart, Breeze. From what I remember about _that_ place. The way he killed . . . It wasn't just spontaneous, it was well though out."

The younger teen glanced around a corner, scooting around it and down the next hallway. "You're right. But it's our only real chance. If things get too out of control, he has to come."

Jay came up around Hiro's side, trailing his hand along the wall. "I can hear voices in that direction," he pointed, off towards a shadow filled room farther down. "They're . . . laughing . . ."

Breeze growled under his breath, and took another few steps forward. "If they are . . . That isn't good." He glanced at Hiro out of the corner of his eyes, half opening his mouth to say something to the redhead, before deciding against it. Telling him that Scourge's laughter might mean that Tora was already dead wasn't the best thing. Hiro might just try and rush in there.

Cocking the gun, Breeze edged closer along the wall towards the room. He could hear it now too, the quiet, dark laughs. There was no mistaking that laugh, he'd heard it too many times before. He was just outside the doorway now, and he slowed his breathing, mentally counting how many bullets he had. He could hear two . . . No, three voices.

Leo raised an eyebrow at him, and silently gestured to the doorway, asking without words whether he should go first. Breeze shook his head. Leo was his secret weapon for now, let it remain that way.

He rounded the corner with a whirl, holding out his gun in front of him, amber eyes narrowed. And then, he retched in horror at what his eyes saw.

Scourge was leaning against the desk, smirking down at the floor, before turning an amused gaze to Breeze. Beside him, Broken was sprawled across the desk, his black eyes wide as he caught sight of the intruder. Kneeling on the floor, was Holly. In her hands was a long, silver-bladed knife, dripping with blood. She was in mid lick across it's smooth side as Breeze hurtled into the room, and she smiled at him. And in the center of the room, sprawled across the tiles, unmoving, was Tora. His eyes were half open, glazed, and unseeing. Small cuts, and large, long gashes littered his body, soaking the white tiles with red. The blood was slowly pooling out from beneath him, and he lay still, unmoving.

Breeze's heart leapt into his throat as he felt a shaking hand grasp the back of his jacket, before Hiro was suddenly beside him. The redhead's emerald eyes were wide, and brimming with fearful, anguished tears.

"No . . ." Hiro whispered, a lump forming in his throat, "no . . . Tora . . ." He swallowed, and let go of Breeze's jacket, "Nooooo!!!"

The dark haired teen gasped in surprise, and horror as Hiro hurtled past him, slipping on the blood stained floor, falling to Tora's side. "Hiro, stop! Get away from him right now!"

But Hiro paid no heed to Breeze's warning, and flung himself across Tora. His hands trailed up across the cuts along the older teen's chest, up to his neck. There was a cut dangerously close to the jugular vein, but most of them, save for across his chest, were fairly small. Hiro laid a hand on Tora's chest, above where his heart would be, and the other hovering over Tora's nose. He was rewarded with a faint, but steady heartbeat, and small, gasping breaths.

_Thank Starclan . . . He's alive . . ._

Breeze's hands shook now, as he whirled the gun around towards scourge, who had risen from the desk, and was walking towards Hiro and Tora. "Don't move you bastard!" Breeze growled, leveling the gun towards the psycho's head.

Scourge halted, turning to smirk at Breeze. "I was wondering what had happened to you, Wind. Seems I have the privilege of finding out." He twirled a hand in the air, "but to see you here, defending Tora and that useless Kittypet . . . How . . ." his emerald eyes narrowed, and he smiled dangerously, "how . . . Disappointing."

Jay, who had been standing behind Breeze, flinched as he heard the sudden loud click of a gun being taken off of the safety. His eyes widened, and he felt his breath catch in his throat. _Oh Starclan . . . He hadn't been listening to what was happening outside of the room!_

Leo gasped in surprise, and lunged towards his brother from where he was a few yards away. But Breeze was faster, whipping around and turning Jay behind him in one swift movement, so that Jay was inside the room, and he was out.

Three, echoing shots rang out. Jay stood motionless as the blood splattered across his face and chest, his blue eyes swimming and glazed in shock. There was a light thump, and he felt someone slump back against him. Falling to his knees inside the room, he wrapped his arms around Breeze's unmoving body. His fingers instinctively felt out the wounds, one in the left shoulder, one on the lower right hip, one that seemed to have punctured Breeze's right lung.

"Oh . . . God . . ." he whispered, bending his head across Breeze's chest, listening to the faint breaths. A shaky hand rose up to tangle in his gray hair, and Breeze's amber eyes slid closed.

"It's okay . . . It'll be okay . . ." the dark haired teen whispered.

Holly stood up behind them, dropping the knife at Tora's side, "well, that was unfortunate. But you shouldn't have interfered. But he was _Windclan_ after all," he eyes narrowed in fury at the name of the clan, and she glanced out towards the hallway.

An older man walked in, somewhere around the age of twenty-five. His hair was black, flecked with gray-white. In front of him, he shoved Leo, forcing him into the room. "This is all there was in the immediate area, boss," he stated, pushing Leo down to the ground.

Scourge smiled, "good, good. Well done Bone, you really are my best man here." He ignored the annoyed growl from Broken, and continued walking towards Hiro and Tora. "Now . . . How should we dispose of my half-brother from the Forest?"

Hiro flinched at these words, but didn't raise his head from Tora's chest. He didn't want to see what had happened, who had gotten hurt because of him and Tora.

Scourge grinned wickedly, "didn't you know, Firestar? I figured it out, as soon as I met you. You looked exactly like that picture of my father that was on the bookshelf in my house. And when Tigerstar called you Kittypet, I knew for sure."

Holly smiled as well, "I remembered all along, Jay. You should have been able to tell I was lying. Or maybe it was just my powers-"

Jay's head whipped around, his blue eyes narrowed in anguish and fury, "you _never_ had a power! You weren't one of us! You weren't one of the three!"

His sister flinched in surprise, "liar!"

"It's not a lie! Dovekit was the one, never you! You were too filled with hate!" He sobbed, and leaned over Breeze again, "you were too dark in your heart. It could have _never_ been you. You were just like Scourge . . ."

Holly sneered, and turned her back to him. "Boss, go ahead and dispose of them, they are no siblings of mine."

"Fuck you, Holly! Fuck you! How could you do this!? You're heartless!" Leo screamed, standing up from the ground.

Bone snarled, and aimed his gun at Leo, firing.

Leo didn't flinch as the bullet skimmed across his arm, barely scraping his skin. "What the hell made you like this," Leo hissed, grabbing the front of his sister's shirt, shaking her. "Why?!!"

"Because I remembered," she replied simply, "you might not, Lionblaze. But I remembered everything. Our parent's betrayal." She smirked, "you'd never understand."

"And I don't want to," Leo growled.

Scourge's eyes flickered between them, an amused look on his face, before he turned to Bone, "Get rid of him."

Leo glared at Scourge, amber eyes narrowed venomously, "it doesn't work, haven't you noticed."

"Ever heard of Fire Bullet's?" Broken cut in with a small laugh, tossing a box to Bone. "I've been watching you kid, I know you can drown, and I know you can burn. These light on fire the moment they're released from the barrel, and go right through you. Your own personal silver bullet."

Suddenly, Bone was shoved aside, and he nearly shot his own foot as he was unloading the gun. Ash had slammed into him from the doorway, knocking him to the floor, before he grabbed hold of Leo, pulling him away from his sister.

Leo hissed in surprise and irritation, as Ash dragged him backwards, stopping until they leaned against the wall beside where Jay was crouched. "Let me go."

"No," Ash whispered.

"Dammit, Ash, I can take the bullet! It's a bluff!" He struggled in the older teen's grip, but Ash only wrapped his arms around Leo's waist and pulled him into a tighter restraint.

"Trust me, Leo, please. Just trust me. And stay still."

Scourge shrugged, and motioned towards Bone, "leave it. Use the normal bullets for now," he waved a hand lazily towards Hiro, "use it on Tora. He might still be breathing."

Leo jerked in Ash's grip again, "Hiro, run! Get out of here! Get out of here now!"

Hiro didn't look up, but pressed closer to Tora. He wouldn't move, he couldn't let them hurt him anymore. He was already just barely alive. He couldn't let him die . . .

Tora's head tilted towards him suddenly, a slight, barely noticeable movement. "Hiro . . ."

The redhead glanced at him, smiling slightly, "hey . . ."

"Listen to them, get out, now. You were never meant to come here, never meant to see this. Please . . ." Tora's voice was horse, weak, and barely there.

Hiro merely smiled at him. He reached up, twining a hand with one of Tora's limp ones, pulling their intertwined fingers together.

"Hiro . . ." Tora pleaded.

There was a small click, and burst of sound, before Hiro's body jerked, blood splattering across the ground around them. The redhead's emerald eyes glazed, but he didn't break his locked gaze with Tora's amber.

Jay didn't look up, pressing his face closer to Breeze's unmoving form, as he heard his brother scream.

**Dear angel mine**

**Yeah**

**Where do I start to express how I feel.**

**My love's gone blind,**

**And all that I feel is what I hear.**

**You must rip and tear,**

**Through my heart so weak and pure.**

**And I find myself,**

**Wanting to die.**

**I bleed for the second time tonight,**

**Holding love that's in my mind.**

**If only my love could be with you,**

**If only this pain this pain died too.**

**- Dear Angel, by April Sixth.**

RANDOM AUTHOR RAMBLE

The end. . . . . . . . . . Just kidding! Ahahahahaha. (you killed me just now, didn't you. Lol.)

I fricken love this chapter. I've been planning it since I started the fic. But how everything ends is still a secret ! Hahahahaha! *gets shot* but I really love this scene. Let me think . . . There should be two more chapters then an epilogue. And of course, epic sequel!!!!

I love the sequel, a lot. I have it mostly planned out, but it'll start BEFORE ETMHWRY. When Jay and Leo are really young. Holly too. Btw, I love Holly as well. I would been fine with her in the PO3 club. But she was evil . . . And possibly still alive in OOTS (or WOOTS, lol.) but that's even cooler! *thumbs up*

New charies this chapter

Broken- Brokentail. Duh.

Bone- uhh . .. Bone! Hahahahaha. *uncreative silly head*

You got a loooonnnngg . . . Chapter this time, so probably not very long for next time. I could have spilt it into two . . . But I figured 25-26 chapters was more even than 27. Aaaannndd . . . I'm already finished writing it, but I'm just gonna torture u. :D

REVIEW!!! *points at green button below* Let's get to a hundred peoples!


	23. Chapter 23

**Every Time, My Heart Will Reach Yours**

Leo screamed, as blood splattered across the floor, ending only inches away from his feet. He screamed as Hiro stopped moving and Tora's eyes closed. He saw the older teen's arm wrap around the redhead's shoulders. Leo struggled against Ash's tight restraint as the blood poured from Hiro's back, spilling out onto the tiled floor; pooling up. This was all wrong, it was never supposed to happen this way.

Ash covered Leo's mouth with a hand as Bone emptied the gun and refilled it with the Fire Bullets, aiming it at Leo. The orange haired teen bit down on Ash's hand, hard enough to draw blood, but Ash didn't remove it. Instead, he turned; pushing Leo into the wall to shield him from the gun with his body.

Holly smirked, walking up behind Bone and placing a hand on his shoulder. "If that one's gonna stand in the way, I'd love to have the pleasure of removing him from the scene. After all, it was what I tried to do in the alleyway. What I _did_ by the lake."

Ash growled, but stood his ground even as Leo pushed at him desperately to try to change their positions. "You really are a fool, Hollyleaf. I should have killed you when I had the chance in that fire," the dark haired boy hissed, his dark blue eyes flashing with fury.

Leo closed his eyes, his nails digging into the front of Ash's shirt as the older boy pinned him against the wall. That word… his mind was suddenly filled with flames, and he tried to push Ash away again. This person in front of him, he trusted him, he really did. But then, why did it feel like he'd already been betrayed?

Jay's eyes widened and he raised his head towards where they were. She wouldn't really… not Leo too! He bent his head again. Even if she did, there was _nothing_ he could do about it. He was _blind_. Useless and blind.

A shaking hand pressed something cold and metallic against his palm. Startled, Jay returned his sightless gaze to Breeze who was lying across his lap.

The amber eyed teen stared up at Jay as he pressed the hilt of the gun into the blind boy's hand. His breath was coming in short, struggling gasps. One of his lungs was punctured and he was slowly beginning to suffocate. "Jay, it's okay," he murmured. "Just listen to me and everyone will be okay. Just do exactly as I say."

Jay nodded slowly and shivered as Breeze twined his other hand around his own; the one not currently holding a loaded gun. "What can you see," Breeze prompted in barely a whisper.

The blue eyed teen was about to retort with the fact that he was blind, until he noticed the vague shapes. He could barely make out his brother, pressed against the wall by a protective Ash, and his sister and Bone arguing about who got to shoot who. "It's fuzzy…"

"Not good enough," Breeze exhaled, saying the words under his breath. "Point the gun towards Bone now. Be silent and don't move, no matter what after you've done so."

Jay obeyed, aiming towards the blurry form of the tallest person in the room, near his sister. That had to be Bone. Suddenly, Breeze had propped himself up on his lap, wrapping one arm around Jay's waist and the other around his shoulders. "It's a little less hazy," Jay whispered, knowing what Breeze was asking him without words.

He couldn't understand how this was happening, that he was suddenly able to _see_. Every time Breeze moved closer the darkness that had always been his world lifted a little more, getting closer and closer to the things he saw in his dreams.

And suddenly, Breeze's mouth was pressed against his, and the world cleared. Even in the moonlit darkness of the classroom he could see everything. Without words, he shifted the gun a bit more, Breeze never moving.

Bone glanced in their direction, and shoved the gun against Ash's head in warning. Scourge laughed from across the room. "He's blind, Bone. There is no way he'll hit you. And awww. Look, he's sharing a final goodbye with Wind. How disgusting. Ignore him."

Leo struggled once more against Ash's grip as the older teen pressed him into the wall. Not only was Breeze touching his brother in a way he _really_ didn't like, but the moron was also telling Jay to do something physically impossible for him. "Jay, stop! You'll hurt someone! Don't do it!"

Jay's hands shook. His brother was right. He couldn't do it, what if he missed, what if he hit Ash by mistake, or Leo?

_You won't hit him, you'll kill Bone. Trust me, Jay._

It was Breeze's voice, Breeze inside his mind. Their powers… the reading of emotions, vision. Could it be? Even the summoning of air… he raised the gun again as Breeze shifted against his mouth a bit more. Bone looked uncertain now and glanced at Scourge once, but the other merely waved the gaze off.

The gun cracked and Jay's body jerked backwards as it fired. Breeze instantly broke their contact, turning to face Bone. He watched as the bullet, aimed at Bone's stomach, curved up towards his heart.

Leo shivered as the bullet whizzed past them, his fingers digging into the cloth of Ash's shirt. But this was his chance; his chance to break free and get rid of Holly. Holly, his own _sister_ who had turned against him. Holly, who had betrayed him. And yet… he felt as though there had been a much worse betrayal before. And as he took one last glance up at Ash's dark blue eyes, he wondered if it could have been him who was truly the one who had hurt him before.

Ash was thrown aside as Leo rushed Bone, seconds after the wall behind them splattered with his blood. The redhead hurled himself at Holly, throwing her up against the window. Broken ran up behind him, trying to pull him off of his companion.

Leo roared in fury and the air around him exploded. Glass shattered and Holly screamed as she toppled backwards out the third story window. Broken remained soundless as he hit the opposite wall with a sickening thud.

The oldest triplet whirled on Scourge who was slowly backing up against he far wall. "No! This… this cannot be! It was supposed to be Fire, that's what my dream told me!" He groped along the wall and nearby tables for something, anything to defend himself. But there was nothing, nothing that could stop someone who was practically immortal.

"And they were right," Leo hissed venomously. "Because I'll be the one to kill you. And the last thing you'll hear will be my name." He wrapped a hand around Scourge's throat, ignoring the long nails that scrabbled at his arms and chest uselessly. "It's Lion_blaze_!" His wrist snapped and he twisted Scourge's head until it faced the complete opposite direction, ignoring the gruesome crunch of breaking spine.

He turned, amber eyes blazing, to glare around the room. Ash shivered; there was bloodlust in the younger boy's eyes. The dark haired teen hurried forward, and pulled Leo towards him, against his chest, ignoring the furious, dangerous growl from the redhead. "Leo, calm down, please. It's over…" He pressed is face against the top of Leo's head, noticing the way his hair was dyed redder than its normal shade. "It's over, Lionblaze. You've done enough…"

Leo slumped in Ash's grip, his eyes slipping closed.

Come on and lay it down

I've always been with you

Here and now

Give all that's within you

Be my savior

And I'll be your downfall…

- Downfall Matchbox20

RANDOM AUTHOR RAMBLE

Aaaaahhhhhh! Le drama! And you STILL are wanting to kill me right now, aren't u. ahahahahaha. Cause u don't know who's going to liiiiiiivveeee *sing song voice*

One more chapter, then the epilogue.


	24. Chapter 24

**Every Time, My Heart Will Reach Yours**

There was only darkness as Hiro's mind began to work again. He felt as though he was nothing. He tried moving his arms, his hands, tried blinking, but failed. He was nothing, absolutely nothing.

Suddenly, white light began to spread out from beneath him, and the world around him came into focus. The darkness was still there, a few feet away. But now, around him was a pure white. He looked down, and was startled to see paws and ginger fur bathed in the light. He flicked his tail over his pointed ears, and blinked in surprise.

He was no longer nothing. But . . .

His ears flicked back and forth as he caught the sound of light paw steps. They were coming out of the dark shadows that still lingered in front of him, and Hiro instantly recoiled.

But then he noticed the flash of amber eyes in the darkness. Frozen to the spot, Hiro watched as a broad shouldered brown tabby emerged from the shadows, walking across the border between that and light. He stared at Hiro, amber eyes narrowed and crooked upwards in a hidden, reassuring smile.

"T- Tigerclaw…" The name came to Hiro's mouth unbidden, but he knew it was the right one.

Tigerclaw smirked slightly, before leaning forward to press his nose against Hiro's own gently. The light spread out from beneath their paws, engulfing the dark edges, and swallowing them up into nothing.

Tora's eyes snapped open as he felt the hand in his grip suddenly squeeze back. He sat up from where he'd been sleeping with his head resting against the white sheets on the bed's side, and ran his eyes across the face of the pale redhead before him. There was nothing. Why had he expected it to change now; after all this time?

The heart monitor attached to Hiro suddenly began to pick up it's pace, and Tora flicked his eyes over towards him again, gripping Hiro's hand with both of his own. _StarClan… I know my sins; I know what I did to you, to the clans, to Fireheart. Please, please, please… hear me now. This prayer is not for me._

Tora's heart stopped as emerald eyes cracked open, and he drew in a shaky breath as green met amber. "Hey," he whispered.

Hiro slowly smiled, giving Tora's hand another weak squeeze. "Hey . . ." his voice cracked; his throat dry and swollen, as if he hadn't spoken in ages.

"You're a pain in the butt, Kittypet, you know that?" Tora grinned, tears stinging the corners of his eyes. "Don't you ever pull shit like that again."

Hiro smiled wider, closing his eyes again. "How… how long?"

Tora cocked his head, slightly confused, before he understood. "You were in a coma, Hiro… for two months after that night. At least, it will be two months tomorrow."

"Counting?" Hiro inquired with a weak chuckle.

"Not really," Tora smirked, squeezing Hiro's hand.

The redhead's eyes opened again, and he let them rest on Tora. He couldn't seem to remember all of his words, and it pained him to talk at the moment. "Everyday?" He asked quietly.

Tora went slightly red in the cheeks, and nodded, "Yeah… as soon as they would let me move around. I've been here every day."

Hiro smiled, and let his eyes slip close again. A little nap seemed like a great idea, even though he'd been sleeping for such a long time.

^-^ ^-^ ^-^

Jay smiled at the clunking sound of one foot and two rubber ended crutches hobbling down the hallway to his left.

"Stop that," Breeze hissed angrily, "I'm not used to them yet, I just got out of that damn hip brace and all!"

"Stop what?" Jay asked innocently. "I'm not doing anything."

"Smiling like that!" Breeze declared, pointing accusingly at the shorter boy. "You're sooooo mean! Mean, mean, mean!" He stuck out his lower lip, pouting. "Hmmph . . ." He thought briefly about reminding Jay who he'd gotten these wounds for, two months ago, who he'd protected, but decided against it. It was unspoken, and there was no need to mention it.

To Jay's right, Leo rolled his eyes towards the ceiling. "Stop fighting, you idiots. And Breeze, leave Jay alone. Period."

"Never," Breeze retorted instantly, grinning from ear to ear. "Give up, mouse-brain."

"Y-you give up!" Leo hissed back, feeling flustered.

Strong arms slung around all three of their shoulders, and a cheery voice rang out loudly, "Weeeelll… you could always just have a threesome. That would solve everything!" Gray chirped in delight.

Leo jumped, and toppled out of the older teen's grasp. "Great StarClan no! That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard!"

Breeze pretended to look thoughtful for a moment, "I don't know… could be fun to- oww!" He winced, and rubbed the shoulder Jay had just right hooked him on. "I was just kidding…"

Leo grinned; glad that his "rival" was getting his just deserts. His amber eyes flickered ahead, as he caught sight of a dark haired, older boy leaning against the wall a few yards away. He smirked, and hurried forward. Ash stopped Leo with a hand to the forehead, and ruffled the orange hair.

"You ready to go visit Hiro?" He asked, as Leo squirmed under his persistently unmoving hand. "'Cause it doesn't look like it. Straighten up." He smiled as Leo instantly obeyed, "Now, stop fighting with Breeze, let him be for a bit."

"But-"

"No buts," Ash chided teasingly, "Now march." He pushed Leo in front of him down the hall, ignoring the younger's protests.

Gray smiled, and trailed behind them, just ahead of Jay and Breeze. "Today… really is a beautiful day, isn't it?" He remarked, glancing out of a window in the hallway. His eyes trailed across the quietly bickering Jay and Breeze, and then over towards where Ash was shoving Leo into Hiro's room. "Mmmhhhmm nothing better..."

**This feels just like it's my first love**

**So much so that I feel like it must be fate**

**Not even in my dreams do I feel**

**The way I do when we hold each other**

**- Cherish Ai Otsuka**

RANDOM AUTHOR RAMBLE

Above is the second to last verse of the English translation to the song Cherish by Ai Otsuka. It's a very beautiful song, if you've never heard it. When I first saw the video, "I Want To Draw" that it was on Youtube, I thought of the opening scene to this chapter, as well as the final scene of the epilogue. There is a few more profound words and final twists there, so keep reading!

*cough* I noticed we had some issues with Hiro in chapter 23. For those of you who really wanted Hiro to kill the bad guys, I'm sorry. But he is NOT a wimp. He did something extremely brave, and saved Tora's life by shielding him as he did. Tora would have died then and there had he not. And in case you can't remember, Fireheart never liked killing others, and did everything he could to avoid unnecessary fighting and deaths. The only cat, in fact, that he ever killed was Scourge. And that was not what he wanted it to come to. That's why I chose Leo to carry out the bad kitty's punishment. Lionblaze doesn't have any problems with violence as we have seen in the series. In fact, he enjoys the power he happens to possess. (he won't like it so much in Intertwining Stars however.)

One last thing. I just realized I totally messed up in Taste of Pain. I mentioned Berrynose and Birchfall twining tails many times I think. When . . . Berrynose is "Berry-stumpy-tail." Uhhh . . . Oops? Ignore it though, MY Berrynose is cool,. Manly, loves Birchy, and has a fluffy tail. :D


	25. Chapter 25

**Every Time, My Heart Will Reach Yours**

**Epilogue**

"It feels so strange, you know?" Gray remarked, staring out the window at the snow that was gently drifting down from the sky as the sun set. "It feels like it was just yesterday . . . But it was four months ago or so now." He wiggled his fingers on his right arm, smirking. "And my arm healed nicely, don't you think?"

Beside him, Mitsuki shot him a glare, "of course it did. What kind of doctor do you think I am?"

"A pretty one?" Gray asked innocently, fluttering his eyelashes.

Mitsuki rolled her eyes, "uh-huh." She flicked her gaze to the window again, "hey, there they are."

Gray grinned, leaning on the windowsill of Hiro's hospital room, "ah, you're right! Hiro's doing better, don't you think? If my stupid arm could heal after I broke it missing a hit on that bastard Chi thug's face, I think Hiro'll be just fine."

Mitsuki nodded, "yeah. But you do realize that you just had a break in your _arm_. Hiro is going to need therapy, expensive therapy at that."

Gray nodded, "I know, I heard Hime and Tora talking about it."

The light haired doctor smirked, "did you hear what else Hiro's mom talked about with my air-headed cousin?"

"No," Gray stated, perking up in curiosity, "what else?"

"Are you cold?" Tora asked. Without waiting for a reply, he pulled off his own scarf and kneeled down in front of Hiro, wrapping it around the redhead's neck.

Hiro blushed, and lowered his gaze to the blanket draped across his legs as Tora tightened the scarf securely around his neck. His hands brushed against the edges of the large round wheels on the side of his chair, and he closed his eyes. "You . . . Don't have to do this, Tora."

"Do what?" Tora asked, walking around behind the chair again, and pushing Hiro down the snow littered path outside the hospital. White flakes sprinkled down from the sky, flecking Hiro's hair with white, making Tora smirk at the sight. "Whatever you're thinking, Hiro, stop."

"But . . ."

Tora paused, and went around to kneel in front of Hiro in the snow once again. "Hiro, you heard what the doctors said. Six months of therapy, and you'll be up and about in no time. The bullet didn't sever your spine, just clipped it."

"I know," Hiro whispered.

Tora smiled, "and even if the therapy doesn't work . . . I'll still be here, right be your side." He lifted up a hand, brushing some snowflakes from Hiro's hair. "Always."

Hiro shook his head, "I . . . I don't regret my decision, Tora. And I'm here because of that decision. But it isn't your weight to bear! If I end up being able to never walk again, I can't force that burden on you and-"

Tora laughed, making Hiro glare at him, "shhhh . . ." he placed a finger across Hiro's lips. "Stupid Kittypet, listen for a minute. You're not forcing me to do _anything_. And I know that you _will_ walk again. And soon. Hiro, it's not forcing, or anything like that, if you live with me, right?"

Hiro's eyes widened, "wha . . . What?"

"We graduate in three months, remember? And when you're released to start your therapy tomorrow, and everyday after that . . . Would you like to live with me? It'll be a bit crowded, you, me, and Raven. And Gray and Mitsuki are across the street, so they'll be over all the time too . . ."

"R-really? Even if I'm stuck like this forever?" Hiro whispered.

"Yes," Tora smiled, taking Hiro's hands in his own. "As long as you need me, Fireheart."

Hiro sobbed, and flung his arms around Tora's shoulders, the older man wrapping his own around Hiro's waist. "I . . . I love you, Tigerclaw . . ."

"Love you too, damn Kittypet," Tora replied.

Hiro laughed, and tightened his grip, as the snow fell down around them.

**If we can't meet each other**

**I couldn't laugh this way like I'm with you**

**This year, the happiest thing**

**Is being able to be by your side**

**-Cherish Ai Otsuka**

**END**

RANDOM AUTHOR RAMBLE

THANK YOU: XyaoiXstoryXfangirlX, Shadowclaw505, Hawkeyes-Sunstar, ArticFox 14, Flamefur, articwolfes, sweetlolitaangel, Skyline Stanza, Jesi -the immortal warecat-, SnowsongIsAJaypawFan, ilikewriting, dude1094, and Moonstreak! For all of Your reviews and everything!

Special thankies to Gab Ghost, my new Beta! *huggles*

GOMENASAI for all of u who had to wait for this so long. but i had a convention, then i got sick, then i lost my flashdrive with all my chapters on it . . . *sadness* then i found it! so the same situation for the pics. i'll try to have them up soon, but i will give u the first chapter of IS for the 18th. anywho, here's a gift to tide u over. .com/watch?v=54PRUesr4K4&feature=channel_page

Have u all listened to this song yet??!! Listen to it. You can hear the snow like in this scene, and the light, like in last chapter. Hime, btw, is Hiro's mom. I thought now was as good a time as any to mention her. Hime means "Princess" btw. Hahahahaha. Yeah, his mom was his sister in the other world. But I told u , didn't I? That family changes, but love stays the same. Anywho . . . Are you excited for the sequel? I am!!! I'll try to get the first chapter up by the twentieth of September. So you all can be going "eeek!" with the pictures form ETMHWRY and Intertwining Stars that I'll be posting on my site on the 12th. *Thumbs up*.

But just to tide you over, here's the summary :3

Intertwining Stars: About Brother complexes, learning to trust, and promising forever. Unfortunately, love is never simple.

Jay recounts everything that he remembers about his brother. Their life as they grew up, their bond, their sins, their love. Breeze will have to work to show Jay that he's more than just an ex-Chi member, and prove that he can truly be something to the blind teen. To both Jay, and Leo. As well as define himself as different from Jay's brother.

Meanwhile, Leo is finding that the other world and this one are merging more than he'd like, and not in a good way. His memories are resurfacing, and he begins to blame himself for everything that went wrong a year and half ago with Chi. Can he learn to trust the same person who betrayed him in a night of fire, or will he be consumed by his memories of the Lake?

And Tora and Hiro come to realize that love isn't always an up, because there's always a down. Especially when they encounter a problem of two very familiar faces. Niku, who remembers everything about the Forest, and the Lake, yet is strangely afraid of Tora. And Niku's twin brother, Taka, who prefers Tora over Hiro. What's going on? And just who are Taka and Niku?


End file.
